Awakening
by Nioma Maxwell
Summary: Duo's recently begun to realize something is off about his life, and that's that he always seems to avoid Death. It started out as simple speculation, until he meets a strange kid saying strange things that hit a little too close to home. Could he actually be related to Death? Ironic, wouldn't it be? No pairings yet.
1. Death Intriguing

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Gundam Wing related :*( But I do own any OCs in this story(there will be a lot)

Note: Please Please tell me if there are any inconsitancy errors, I'm actually rewriting this from a very long time ago. Let me know if you enjoy!

Pairings: None for now

Death Intriguing

* * *

A.C. 197

Duo stared at the Kitchen countertop for a good five minutes, his eyes blank and void of emotions as he reached to the top drawer and pulled it open. He reached in and pulled out one of the steak knives, the sharp blade reflecting the light from outside. He held his wrist up towards him, taking the knife and neatly piercing the skin.

The door to the house burst open, as Hilde walked in carrying groceries. "Duo, I need you to…" She screamed, dropping the paper bag of fruit and spilling it all over the floor.

Duo looked up at her curiously, the knife pressed to his skin as a couple drops of red liquid ran down his wrist. Hilde looked at him in shock, before rage overcame her and she marched over to her boyfriend and yanked the sharp object from his grasp. "Duo! What the hell are you doing?!"

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" He said, backing up and giving her a nervous look.

The seventeen-year old former OZ soldier gave him a warning glare. "Then what were you doing? Because it looked like you were cutting yourself!"

"I'm not suicidal, I'm experimenting." He reasoned, leaning down to salvage what was left of the fruit on the floor.

Hilde stood over him and folded her arms, clearly not convinced. "What kind of experiment would involve you risking your life?! If you had cut any deeper, you could have hit an artery and died! Does that not mean anything to you?!"

Duo stood, giving her a bored expression. "Look, I know I sound crazy, but I honestly believe I can't die."

Hilde threw her arms in the air and sighed with exasperation, turning to leave. "Not this again. Please, not now!"

"I'm serious!" He said, following after her. "Every time I've nearly encountered Death, some miracle happens and I end up seeing another day! Like just now! You walked in _right_ at the perfect moment to stop me."

"That was a fluke." She said, reaching her car and opening the trunk.

"Oh yeah? What about the time we first met, when you showed up just before a Mobile Doll was about to kill me?"

"Duo…"

"And after that! When I was suffocating in my cell and the door _magically_ opened just when we were about to die!"

Hilde shook her head, grabbing another bag from the trunk.

"Then there was the time I tried to self-detonate, but it wouldn't work. And before that, when I tried to blow up Deathscythe and the building I was in, but Professor G rigged the detonation switch. When I was three, my house got blown up by missiles, and I barely missed them because I was playing outside and the tree covered me from the blast. There was also the Maxwell Church, which got blown up too when I just so happened to be away. And you wanna know how many times I've been shot at? And they all missed!"

"If I remember correctly, I shot you and made a hit." She said, entering the kitchen and setting the food on the counter.

"That was my mobile suit, and sorry baby, but you still missed my vitals."

She glared at him, leaning against the counter with an annoyed look. "Duo, so maybe you have a Guardian Angel, but it doesn't mean you're "death"-retardant. You can still die. You bleed mortal."

"But what if I'm not? What if I'm _immortal_?" He questioned, though it was more out of sarcasm and humor than seriousness.

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Duo, come on, this is getting ridiculous…"

"But I'm serious! It's like I have a protection spell on me or something."

"Protection Spell? Please, Duo. You don't really believe in witchcraft, do you?"

"No, but what other explanation is there?"

"A stroke of good luck?"

He gave her a serious look, but she shook her head and walked out to get more groceries. "What about the wreck the other day, you have to admit _that_ was strange."

"It was luck."

"I was about to get hit by a car! When _another_ car knocked it out of the way! In a one way street! No passing zone!"

"Duo, please, just stop."

"And it's not like I wasn't ready to die. I've always been ready to die. In fact, I'm curious to know what happens when we _do_ die."

"Duo!" She yelled, swerving around and glaring at him. "What is your fascination with death?! I thought the whole 'God of Death' thing was pretty cool, especially given the reason behind it, but you really don't believe you _are_ , right?"

He thought for a moment. "That could be a possibility…"

"Duo!"

"What?! I'm kidding!" He said, throwing his hands up in defense as she marched inside with another bag of groceries. Duo followed behind, carrying the last bag. "I don't even believe in God. I worked with scientists, and I'm a realist. Quatre's the only one who believes in that stuff. I just think I've had one too many brushes with death for it to _not_ be a coincidence."

"Then what could it be?" She questioned. "Go on, explain this to me."

He sighed, realizing she was beyond reasoning with now, and figured this was a losing battle. "You know what, nevermind. I have work to do." He said, turning on his heel and marching out.

"Duo, wait, Duo!" She called, following after him. But he was already gone, and she was left alone to sort the groceries by herself.

* * *

Duo mumbled incoherent curses to himself as he made his way through the bustling streets of the colony, occasionally glancing at his phone to check if he had any calls. It wasn't like he was purposely trying to upset her; she just didn't understand his situation. He knew there was something wrong with him, ever since that wreck that could have killed him, he _knew_. And it wasn't a fluke that he was standing in front of it either.

He didn't _want_ to die; well, not in the selfish way. Death was simply fascinating to him, and he wished he knew more about it; about what happened when people died, where their souls went, if there really _were_ Reapers of Death. He wanted to know why _he_ couldn't die, when everyone else around him seemed to. Everyone eventually dies, but Duo had seen more of his loved ones-and not so loved ones-pass away than he wanted to remember. His parents, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, Solo, Professor G… He dreaded the day Hilde would disappear, but it seemed she would be walking out sooner than breathing her last breath, if he continued with his tirade.

He sometimes felt like he was purposely trying to push her out, since she herself had had too many scrapes with death. There was the time he saved her when they first met, then when she stole information from Libra, and again when she tried to join a mission with the Preventers to help rescue Relena on her Seventeenth birthday. Everything had gone according to plan, but Hilde just didn't know how to stay still. Of course, they probably would have died if she hadn't snuck in and learned the plans of the enemy, but she got shot and put in the hospital as a result. Her dealing with battles usually ended in near fatal disasters, and he wasn't willing to let that happen again.

Feigning desire for suicide was really the only thing he could come up with, at least for now. Besides, it wasn't hard when things seemed to go his way and somehow, miraculously control the events to _keep_ him from dying. It was almost like some god was up there smiting him for the mere hell of it. Or… _not_ smiting him…

Duo's thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone blaring to life, and he looked at it half expecting Hilde to be calling to beg him to come home. It was usually how their fights ended, which had been more frequent the past couple months. However, he was delighted to see Wufei's number flashing on the screen, and he knew the only reason he called was for a mission.

"Hello?" He answered, listening to the voice on the other end giving him details of the new mission. "Right! I'll be right there!" He said, hanging up and inwardly cheering. _I haven't been on a mission in months! It's more like a vacation to me._ He thought to himself, heading down the streets towards the spaceport. Once he crossed the large intersection up ahead, he figured he would call for a taxi to take him the rest of the way.

* * *

He was frightened, alone, wondering the streets of the bustling crowds in fear as he glanced around his shoulder every chance he got. The small boy tried to maneuver through the multitude of people, pushing passed them and unable to see around him. He was barely tall enough to reach a counter top, let alone see where he was going. He had to get away, he had to find someone who could take him home.

" _If you are ever lost in the Mortal World, find Death, and it will lead you home."_ Said the voice of his mother echoing through his head. The boy looked around, seeing white transparent numbers over the heads of the people. They were counting down to some event, but none of them looked even remotely close to zero.

He was beginning to panic, as he felt a dark shadow looming over him. He raced down the streets, ducking and squeezing between passerby's to get away from the darkness.

He paused, seeing a figure walking along the streets. It was a young man, with a long braid swaying as he walked. He could see the dark aura around him, and the small number that should have been over him was missing. The boy began to inwardly rejoice, because it meant one thing; it was his ticket home.

The boy raced after him, following the young man as he began to cross the four-way intersection up ahead. He knew that if he didn't catch up, he would probably lose him, and then he might _never_ get home. He had to act fast, he _had_ to get home.

However, he was too far away, and once the boy made it to the intersection, the stop sign was flashing, and the lights turned green.

 _I have to run!_ He thought, jumping into traffic anyway. He was more scared of the dark figure chasing him than the chance of getting run over. At least if a car hit him, he would survive.

Horns started blaring loudly, and a couple cars had to swerve to miss him. The boy ignored them, his eyes trained on the figure he had to reach. His mind was racing, and he was beginning to stumble, until finally he fell flat on his face and skinned his knees on the pavement.

He got up, his limbs weak from running, almost giving way beneath him. A loud sound pierced his thoughts, and he looked up just as a car was speeding for him.

He closed his eyes and waited for impact.

Then it hit him.

* * *

Duo was lost in thought about his new mission, the only highlight of his day so far. He was actually humming an unfamiliar tune as he made it across the street. He stood at the corner and got ready to wave for a taxi, when suddenly his thoughts were penetrated by the sound of multiple car horns.

People began to gasp and scream, and he looked up to see a child crossing the street in the middle of traffic, headed his way. _What the hell is that kid thinking?!_ He thought to himself, as cars started to swerve to miss him.

People stood to the side watching and pointing, whispering about the poor boy and that someone should help him. That was one reason why he hated civilians; they always wanted someone else to save the innocent.

Suddenly the boy tripped and fell to the ground, and more people started to murmur and gasp. Duo decided to take it upon himself to help the kid, and headed into traffic.

The crosswalk was rather large, fitting eight lanes total since they were in such a large city. He didn't bother to worry if he would get hit, he never did.

Suddenly something caught his attention, and he saw a car speeding toward the kid. The driver honked, but he didn't bother to swerve out of the way or even stomp on his breaks. Duo turned and made a mad dash for the kid.

He slammed into the boy, shoving him out of the way and holding him close to keep from hurting him more than he already was. They rolled to the side just as the light turned red and traffic finally came to a stop.

People started gathering around then, a couple calling 911 to make sure the two were alright. Duo sat up, the kid clinging to him for dear life, and sighed when he realized he was okay.

 _That's strike 57 for me, and none for Death… again…_ Duo thought to himself, trying to push the boy away. His grip was strong, and he was obviously scared. "Hey, kid, you alright?"

The boy looked up at him, his large deep blue orbs filled with fear until he realized who had saved him. He nodded, loosening his grip and calming his nerves.

Duo sighed, standing up and pulling the kid with him, the boy barely tall enough to reach his waist. He didn't look any older than seven or eight, with a mess of the deepest coal black hair he had ever seen. Duo would have figured it to be a die job, but who would let a child change the color of their hair?

"Are you two okay?" Asked a random person, as the police started to show up. Some of the cars that _did_ swerve were stopped to make sure the two were alright.

"We're fine." Said Duo to the woman with a large yellow hat. He turned to the kid, who had a death grip on his hand. He didn't know why, but the boy seemed to cling to him while shying away from everyone else. Probably because he saved him. "Hey, what were you doing running out into traffic like that? Did you want to get yourself killed?"

The boy shook his head and buried his face into the side of Duo's shirt. Duo felt awkward, but he really didn't know what to do.

"Awe, is that your brother?" Asked another person.

"No…"

A couple of officers walked up and started asking questions, and Duo realized he would probably be there for another couple hours.

The paramedics arrived to check them, but the boy wouldn't let any of them near him. He wouldn't talk to anyone, he wouldn't let anyone touch him, and if they got too close he would shy away and burry his face in Duo's shirt. Duo didn't know what to make of him, and he would have figured the boy to probably run off, but he continued to cling to Duo like he was his big brother or something. Even after an hour of trying to get him to talk, he wouldn't leave his side for nothing.

Finally people started to leave and the Ambulance drove off, thankfully empty handed. The two Officers continued to try and question the boy, if only to find out where he lived so they could take him home.

"Where are your parents?" Asked one of the cops, a young man with short brown hair and a badge that read Wilson. "And why were you wondering the streets alone?"

The boy didn't answer, but kept his hand in Duo's and his face buried. He refused to acknowledge anyone else.

Duo sighed; the boy was like a leech. He couldn't get rid of him for nothing. He felt bad, but he had somewhere he needed to be. He figured since the boy wouldn't leave him, he could probably get him to talk if they were alone.

"Look, I'm a Preventer, so I could take him to the Headquarters and get this straightened out from there." Said Duo, the boy looking up at him like he was his savior. Duo pulled out his badge, something he always had on him just in case of an emergency, and showed it to the officers.

"Very well." Said Wilson. "Be careful kid." The man ruffled the boy's hair, and the kid looked at him like he had been touched by a vial creature. The two officers ignored the boy's reaction and left.

Duo sighed and looked down at the kid. "So, I guess I'm stuck with you for now, huh?"

The boy didn't answer, only buried his face in his shirt again. He was cute, but he was starting to annoy Duo only because he wouldn't say anything. He hadn't even spoken a word since they met.

"Well I'm headed to the Space Port, but I can't pay for your ticket. Won't you tell me where you live so I can take you home?" He tried again.

"I thought you would know." The kid said innocently, looking up at him in confusion.

Duo paused. "Huh? How would I know?"

"Because you're like me."

Duo started to become confused. What was this kid talking about? He had never met him before in his life. "What do you mean, like you? I've never met you."

"Yeah, but, we're the same."

"How are we the same?"

"We're both apart of Death."

To be continued

* * *

And there's the first chapter! XD I'm excited to be publishing this one, I started it years ago and it was really good, but I got stuck. When I went back to it, so many more ideas came to me, I think I just needed a break from it lol. Please leave reviews!


	2. Apart of Death

Disclaimer: I do not own GW or the characters :( But I do own my OCs. Also, this is NOT a DuoxHilde story, sorry if you were confused. As of now, there are no pairings.

Apart of Death

* * *

Wufei looked at his watch as he stood at the gates of the Space Port in Sanc. "He's late."

Sally sighed, standing beside him as they waited for the American Pilot. "It's only been five minutes, give him a break."

"His flight already came in twenty minutes ago. The next one from that colony isn't until three."

"Maybe we should call him and see what happened. I'm sure there's a good explanation."

Wufei didn't hesitate to pick up his cell phone and call Duo. "Hey, where are you?"

"Uh, I got held up, sorry." Said Duo on the other line.

"What do you mean?"

"Some kid was about to get run over, so I pulled him out of the way, and now he wont leave me alone." He paused. "Don't look at me like that."

"Huh?"

"Not you, the kid."

"Okay… Just drop him off at his house and head down here."

"That's just it; he won't tell me where he lives. Again with the looks! How can a kid like you muster that!"

Wufei let out a frustrated sigh. "This is serious, Duo."

"I understand! But I can't just leave him."

"Then leave him at your house or something."

"He won't even acknowledge anyone but me… I'm kinda stuck with him till I can get him to talk."

"Fine, then bring him, I don't care."

"What? You serious? How am I going to pay for his ticket?"

"Put it on the Preventer tab, I don't care. We just need you." He growled, then hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Asked Sally.

"Duo found a leech." He said, walking off to the nearest coffee stand. Sally gave him a curious look, then followed.

* * *

Duo hung up on his cell phone, then turned to the little black haired boy who found himself attached to the Gundam Pilot. "Okay, why don't we start off with your name?"

"It's Azrin." Said the boy absentmindedly, munching on pancakes and bacon.

The two were in a relatively deserted café because the boy said he was hungry and Duo figured he could try to get him to talk more if they were alone. They were in the far corner booth, and the place was practically empty with a couple in another corner and only one waitress.

"Azrin?" Asked Duo, lifting an eyebrow. "That's a… _unique_ … name…" He paused. "What's your last name?"

"I don't have one."

Duo frowned, suddenly feeling sorry for the kid. "You're an orphan?"

"No, I just don't have one."

Duo paused. "Oh. Then what's your dad's last name?"

"He doesn't have one."

 _Wait, what? This kid is confusing._ "Was _he_ an orphan?"

"No."

Duo shook his head. "So your family just don't have family names?"

"Yeah."

Duo sighed. "Okay, where do you live?"

The boy looked away. "If you don't know, then I can't say."

That… made no sense… "What? Why not?"

The boy lowered his voice. "Because someone could be listening." He looked around, as if he were making sure no one was watching him.

Duo lifted an eyebrow. He decided the boy was paranoid about something, and figured he would go with it. "Then what _can_ you tell me?"

"That I'm apart of Death."

"What does that _mean_?"

"I'm half dead."

Duo gave him a skeptical look. "No one is half dead. They're either dead or alive, you can't be in between."

"Then you're not looking at the bigger picture."

Duo paused. "What?" He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Obviously this kid didn't want to tell him the truth, so he was making up stories. Though, it was a little ironic he was calling both of them _Death_. Where did he come up with this stuff? "Okay, so you're half dead. How am I supposed to take you home?"

"Well, you can't, you don't know how."

Duo decided to play along. "Can you _show_ me how?"

The boy looked like he was in deep thought. "I never mastered that technique. Plus I can't use any of my powers for some reason."

 _Powers? Technique? This kid has a wild imagination…_ "Do you at least know _how_ though? Maybe if you tell me, I can figure it out."

"Maybe, but your powers seem blocked too."

 _How convenient._ He rolled his eyes. "Then what should we do?"

"I'll have to stay with you."

Duo stared at him. "What? Why?"

"I have nowhere to go, and for some reason, _he_ isn't chasing me anymore…"

"Who?"

Azrin looked around wearily. " _Him_."

"Who?!"

"If I said his name, he might find me!"

Duo sighed. He knew he wasn't getting anywhere, so he figured he'd try another option. He stood. "Well, I guess you'll just have to stay with me then." The boy seemed to relax slightly. "So we're going to Earth, okay?"

The boy nodded and followed Duo, grabbing hold of his hand as they made their way out.

 _I'm just going to have to find out who he is the old fashioned way._

* * *

"Awe, he's so cute, Duo." Said Sally, as Duo and Azrin made their way through their gate and to the exit. Duo sighed and the boy gave Sally a shy look before burying his face in Duo's shirt again. She chuckled. "Well, he's certainly adorable."

"Yeah, he does that to everyone." Said Duo. "This is Azrin. Azrin, Sally. Where's Wufei?"

"He got tired of waiting. So Azrin, where are you from?" She asked, smiling at the boy. He didn't answer, ignoring her. "He's not much of a talker, is he?"

"No, not really." The three made it to Sally's car. "Actually, if you don't mind, I was thinking we could try and find his parents."

"He hasn't told you?"

Azrin gave Duo his death glare, but the older teen was unfazed. "Let's just say he's being difficult." Duo glared back.

Sally looked between the two, seeing something between them that was a bit odd. There was something similar about them. Not appearances, but something else… And for some reason, they both seemed so comfortable around each other. It was almost natural to see Duo holding Azrin's hand; like they were brothers or something.

Though, she had never seen Duo with kids, so she didn't know if he was good with them or not. Apparently he was.

The three got into the car and drove off, the rest of the way in silence except for Sally informing Duo of his mission. Azrin stared out the window the entire time, completely ignoring the both of them. He was in deep thought, Duo could tell, but he wasn't about to interrupt him.

When they made it to the Headquarters, Wufei and Noin were standing outside making conversation as they waited. The three got out of the car, both Noin and Wufei staring at the kid attached to Duo. Noin hadn't heard what had happened, but Wufei was giving him an interested look, like the boy was intriguing him already.

Azrin looked up at Wufei, and again shied behind Duo.

"What's with the kid?" Asked Noin, looking at Duo and his hand linked in Azrin'.

"Long story." He said, sighing.

"We have to go." Said Wufei. "Can you leave him here?"

"No." Said Azrin, looking up at Duo with pleading eyes. "You have to take me with you."

"I can't, it's a dangerous mission." Duo said, feigning a worried smirk.

"I can stay out of the way."

"It's not that simple, kid."

"I can look after him." Said Noin, trying to be of some help.

"No! I have to stay with Duo."

Everyone stared at him. The kid just met Duo, why was he so attached?

Duo looked at him confused. "Why me?"

"Because we're the same."

Duo rolled his eyes. _Right, we're apart of Death, whatever that means…_

"Duo, what is he talking about?" Asked Noin.

Duo gave them a nervous smirk. "Uh, nothing!" He turned to Azrin. "Is there anywhere I _can_ take you that would be remotely safe? Like a police station or something?"

Azrin looked away in thought. "A church." He said, looking up at him.

Everyone stared at him. "A church?" Duo questioned, lifting an eyebrow.

Azrin nodded. "Preferably Catholic."

"Why a Catholic Church?" Asked Sally, but more to herself than anyone else.

"Catholicism itself might be corrupt, but they were instructed by the Archangels themselves on how to purify a sacred space to keep evil spirits out."

Noin and Sally giggled, not expecting such a sophisticated response from the boy, but at the same time it made him look innocent and imaginative. Wufei gave him a stern look, deep in him own thoughts.

Duo was caught off guard, because he wanted to know just what kind of person was chasing Azrin that couldn't enter a church. Maybe it was an imaginary person or something that he fathomed up to explain the horrible things that happened. What could be so bad that would demote him creating an imaginary demon?

"Okay, a church it is." He said, looking over at Sally and Noin for help.

"We'll drop him off along the way. We must hurry." Said Wufei, heading to Sally's car.

"Promise you won't leave?" Asked Duo, giving Azrin a stern look. "We should be back later tonight, okay?"

Azrin nodded, and the group headed out for the mission.

* * *

In the world of the Darkness, a hooded figure stood by the black sea, staring out at the rising moon along the horizon. Black branches and roots twisted and angled around the person, as sharp spikes protruded from the bark like large thorns. The sand around the figure was as dark as the waters splashing along the shoreline, licking the beach and leaving an ominous aura in its wake. Everything around the figure was eerily silent, even the sounds of the waves was snuffed into the darkness around it. The figure stood still, like a statue gazing eternally in one direction, watching the large moon as it began to rise into the night sky.

Suddenly a void of darkness burst in mid air, creating a black hole of nothingness. Another hooded figure appeared, a couple heads taller than the one waiting on the beach. When it stepped out, the void disappeared, followed by a trail of black light.

"Did you find him?" Asked the first figure, barely moving an inch. The voice was feminine and soft, yet stern and cold as she addressed the other figure.

"No, he isn't in the Netherworld." Said the other, a deep masculine voice with a chilling tone that sent the darkness shivering in fright.

"We have to find him; otherwise the _he_ will be furious." Said the female figure, turning to the taller one.

The young man in the black cloak shifted slightly, his tone getting deeper with anger. "You think I don't know that? He will have both our heads."

The woman sighed. "Did you try the Underworld?"

"I've even looked in Heaven and couldn't find him." He retorted, his voice icy and callous.

The woman faltered slightly, but kept her composure. "How did you get up there? We're forbidden."

"I have connections."

The shorter figure sighed, looking back out at the black sea. "That only leaves the Mortal World left." She looked back up at him, a black void of darkness forming behind her. "We must make haste; before his Majesty finds out he's missing."

The young man nodded, making his own portal behind him. "I agree, and we will kill anyone who gets in our way." The two nodded and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

"Okay, here we are. St. Clair Catholic Church." Said Duo, as the group of them entered the cathedral to drop off the boy. A nun was praying at the altar, and looked up when she saw them. She smiled warmly, then walked passed the long row of pews to meet with them.

"How may I help you?" She asked. She was rather young looking, probably new, Duo thought.

"Would it be okay if you looked after him for a while? Just for a couple hours, he has nowhere to go." Said Duo.

The nun looked at the boy, and a look of uneasiness washed over her for a second, before returning to her pleasant smile. "Well, of course. I would be happy to." She held out her hand to the boy. "And what is your name?"

The boy buried his face in Duo's shirt, peeking out with a shy look. "Azrin…" He mumbled.

"Well, Azrin, my name is Abigail. Do you think we can be friends?"

Azrin looked at her strangely, then nodded and walked over to her. She took his hand, then smiled up at the group, more specifically Duo. "I'll take good care of him."

"Promise you'll be back?" Asked Azrin, looking up at Duo with a pleading look.

Duo smiled, caving in to the cute kid. "Sure, I promise."

"Can we go now?" Asked Wufei. "We're running late."

"Okay, let's go." Duo, Noin and Sally waved goodbye to the boy, and Wufei gave him a strange stern look, before they all parted.

Abigail and the boy stood there for a couple good seconds, before she turned to look at him. "So, Master Azrin, what brings you to the Mortal World?"

Azrin looked up at her in shock, then smirked.

To be continued

* * *

Yay! Next chapter up :) Lemme know if there are any errors, thank you! I also fixed up chapter 1, I forgot the scene breaks lol


	3. Death Warding

Disclaimer: I don't own GW or the characters :/ But I own Azrin and the hooded figures(and I guess Abigail).

Note: No pairings(I know Duo calls Hilde his grilfriend, but that's going to change, sorry spoiler)

Death Ward

* * *

The darkness surrounded the couple as the two hooded figures stood encircled by black jagged rocks and rough terrain. Mountains covered the distance stretching on forever, reaching up to the night sky as the full moon hung heavy in the starry darkness. Dead trees stood around them, looming over as if to snatch the living and strangle the unsuspecting. The two figures coursed with darkness, the blackest of entities in the surrounding area, frightening even the most dangerous of creatures.

The taller figure crossed his arms, anger and irritation pulsing from his aura as the smaller one stood with a sense of annoyance. "You haven't found him yet?" Asked the shorter figure.

"No, the brat has eluded me." Said the man, his voice dark with distaste.

"We must find him; otherwise it could be our last mission." She said, her voice slight with terror at the mention of their Majesty. They both shuddered slightly with fear.

"He doesn't concern me as much."

The shorter figure's aura gave a curious feel. "What do you mean?"

"It took me forever to find the boy, but when I did, I found he was with some human that could mask auras."

The shorter figure paused. "What?" She fell into thought. "What could mask auras? Is it immortal like us?"

"He seemed human…"

"There's no way."

The man paced back and forth, as if to gather his thoughts. "I don't know what that thing was, but it isn't human. It's hard to get close because of that aura. It's like it's warding off…" He paused, like realization hit him. "Death…"

The shorter figure didn't say anything, watching her comrade and waiting for a conclusion to his thoughts. Finally, he looked at her, his hood covering his eyes. "We will need to find another way to get close to him."

"I agree."

* * *

"Well boys, the mission was a complete success." Said Sally as the four of them made their way back to the Preventer Headquarters.

"I see why you needed my skills." Smirked Duo. "We never would have made it in as far without me sneaking in and hacking into the systems."

"Yes Duo, you were a big help." Said Noin.

"But why didn't you ask the others to join?"

"We didn't need that many people." Said Wufei. "Quatre's too busy with his company, Trowa has been working non-stop at the circus, and we can't find Heero. Again."

"Doesn't surprise me." He turned to Sally and Noin in the front seat. "Hey, do you think we could look up Azrin's family when we get back?"

"I actually ran that by Lady Une earlier." Said Sally. "She should have something on him when we get back."

"Awesome, that will narrow down the search." He said, leaning back in his seat and relaxing.

They soon made it to the Cathedral where they dropped off the boy, Sally parking the car outside as Duo told them he would be right back. He entered the church, seeing Azrin and Abigail sitting in the pews at the front talking. Duo was surprised the boy was even acknowledging her existence, let alone talking to her. Maybe he could get her to take care of him, so he could get on with his life.

"But I can't leave Duo, Mom said that if something I have to find someone who can take care of me."

Duo paused, neither of them facing him as he made his way over to them, and listened.

"I understand, but I can keep you safe here in the church until we can contact your family."

"It's not that simple…"

"Look, I know you're not from this plane, but trust me, Father can find your family."

 _Not from this plane? What's that supposed to mean?_ He was surprised they hadn't noticed him by now, but he always seemed to have that affect. Came with being so good at stealth.

"I understand, but for some reason, _he_ won't go near Duo, even though he's blocked."

 _Who is "he"? What does he mean by "blocked"?_ Thought Duo, but continued to stand there listening. They still hadn't noticed him yet, so he figured he could learn a couple things about the boy.

"I see. That is peculiar." She sighed, dejectedly. The boy won out. "Maybe you should study him a little longer before you say anything, okay?"

Duo cleared his throat, catching their attention. He was curious to know what they were talking about, and he knew it concerned him, but he had somewhere to be and he needed to get Azrin home.

Azrin jumped up from his position and ran to him, as Abigail stood and smiled. "He's a cute boy."

"I hear that a lot." Said Duo, frowning. He looked at Azrin. "Are you ready to go? We need to get you home, okay?"

Azrin nodded, taking Duo's hand in his. Duo hadn't seen the kid look so happy. This was bad; he really didn't need to get attached. "Thank you for watching him." Now he sounded like his caretaker…

"Anytime."

* * *

"I couldn't find anything." Said Une as the group of them stood in the small meeting room after discussing the successful mission. Everyone looked at her, then the boy. "No birth certificate, nothing. It's like he doesn't exist."

Azrin didn't look surprised, though most everyone in the room was in mild contemplative shock.

Duo turned to him. "Are you sure Azrin is your real name?"

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?"

"You're not lying to us, are you?"

"No, I have no reason to lie."

"Can we try DNA testing?" Asked Sally. "It's really the only way."

"I guess we have to." Une turned to the black haired boy. "Do you mind if we take some blood? We need it to find your home."

Azrin shrugged, then reached in his back pocket and pulled out a switch blade. Everyone stared in shock as he opened it and sliced a cut on his finger, then held it towards Une.

All three women looked horrified, while Wufei looked slightly shocked and Duo became furious, grabbing the knife away from him. "What the hell was that for?! Where'd you get this?!"

"My Dad." He said.

"What kind of father gives a switch-blade to an eight-year old?" Mumbled Sally.

"You said you needed blood, now take it before it heals." Explained Azrin, looking innocent.

Duo grabbed a handkerchief and Azrin's hand and started wiping the blood away. "That doesn't mean you cut yourself! That could cause infection!" He pulled the handkerchief away and looked at the cut. However, it wasn't there. Not a single scratch. He stared at it, and was about to say something when Une interrupted.

"We might as well use the handkerchief. Put a band aid on it." She looked at Azrin with a stern look. "And don't do that again."

Noin took the handkerchief from Duo and the three women walked out to do some more research. Duo was silent, and Wufei was giving them a curious look.

"So, why would you cut yourself Azrin?" Asked Wufei, more out of curiosity than reprimanding.

"It didn't hurt." He said blankly, like he did nothing wrong. Duo was still standing there trying to figure out where the wound had gone. It was a deep cut, because it drew a lot of blood, but yet his finger was completely healed. Who _was_ this kid?

"That's not the point."

"Um, Wufei, can you leave us for a moment?" Asked Duo, still in a slight stupor. "Azrin and I need to talk."

Wufei gave him a questionably look, then nodded and left. He figured Duo had a lot of questions to ask that kid.

Duo turned to Azrin with his hands on his hips and a stern look. "Okay, you have a lot of explaining to do."

Azrin tensed. "What do you mean?"

"What exactly do you mean by 'Death being a part of you', and not a result that happens after life? What were you and that nun talking about when you said I was 'blocked'? And how the hell is there no cut on your finger when we all just saw you slice it up?!"

Azrin sighed and looked down; realizing he hadn't been vague enough and he should have kept more of a lower profile. Unfortunately he was too reckless to care. "If I tell you, you must _promise_ not to say anything to anyone else, okay?"

"Fine, whatever, just tell me."

"You don't understand, if this information gets out, it can have catastrophic repercussions."

"Okay… I promise."

Azrin took a deep breath. "I'm not exactly normal."

"Okay, you're going to have to elaborate."

"I'm not human."

Duo stared at him for a good couple minutes, blinking. "You're what?"

"I'm not human." Azrin repeated, knowing this would be hard for him to swallow.

Duo didn't know whether to take him seriously or not.. "Okay… then what _are_ you?"

"I'm half Grim Reaper."

Duo stared at him for a good couple minutes, then shook his head. "Wait, is this some kind of joke?"

Azrin looked taken back. "Huh?"

"Are you saying this because I went around calling myself the God of Death during the war, and you're trying to imitate me or something?"

The boy looked confused. "I don't know about there being a God of Death, but there are Angels of Death. And what war?"

"Seriously?" The boy looked serious. "Do you expect me to believe you? As far as I'm concerned, you're just a kid with a wild imagination."

"I'm not just a kid! I'm half Reaper! I've seen more death in one year than you probably have in a lifetime!"

Duo laughed. "I highly doubt that." Azrin glared at him. "I was in a _war._ I've probably killed more people than you've seen on a busy street in New York."

Azrin went pale. "B-But I thought Reapers weren't _allowed_ to kill people…"

"Oh, now you're calling me one too? How ironic!"

"You're at least half! You don't have a lifeline!"

He paused. "A what?"

"A lifeline. Every living being has one, even immortals. The only ones who don't are either dead or they are Grim Reapers… which are technically dead too."

He wasn't convinced. "So you're saying I'm dead now? I feel perfectly alive."

"That's because there's some kind of barrier on you, and I don't know why."

Duo looked away, his anger turning to annoyance. "Whatever, you're just a kid, what do you know?" Duo didn't know what to believe. Everything was just so coincidental. He starts questioning weird events around him, which for some reason seem to elude him from Death. He used to call himself the Shinigami during the war, and liked using the symbol of the Grim Reaper. When he was a kid the only god he believed in was the God of Death. Then this kid shows up out of nowhere spouting off nonsense that makes a little too much sense, but is too unbelievable for him to believe.

Azrin just looked hurt, not even angry. He looked far older than an eight-year old. The boy sounded so sincere, he truly believed what he had just told him. Yet, could _Duo_ believe in the supernatural? He was scientific and realistic, and if he trusted what Azrin told him, it would go against everything he believed in.

Their conversation was interrupted by Une and Sally walking in, finding the two in silence with looks lost in deep thought. They looked from one to the other, then Une cleared her throat. "Um, Duo, can we talk with you?"

"Uh, sure." He said, then looked at Azrin. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Azrin nodded and Duo followed Une and Sally out of the room. "What is it?" He asked.

"We couldn't find anything on the boy." Said Une.

"What, really?"

"Not even through DNA testing." Said Sally. "It's like he doesn't exist."

"So what does that mean?" He asked, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He didn't want them confirming everything Azrin said to be right.

He paused. Why? Why _didn't_ he want Azrin to be right? It would explain everything. But then again, it would just leave him with more questions, and introduce him to a world he knew nothing about. He didn't know if he could handle that.

"He's obviously an orphan. His records must have been destroyed or something."

"But files are hard to delete completely. Even the colonies couldn't erase Heero Yuy's assassination."

"That's because people remembered it. If no one knows him, then he is more alone than any of you were in the war." Duo looked down. So the kid was just like him?

Things started to fit a little. Maybe he was more like him than he thought? It had only been two years since the war, and not that long ago when Mariemaia attacked. Maybe he was just traumatized and trying to fill in the gaps.

Besides, Duo hadn't been able to find any records on himself either.

"We figure when he talks about his family, he's probably not over their death." Said Une, catching Duo's attention. "He might make up stories to keep them alive, at least to himself. You're going to have to try and be sympathetic."

 _Could that be why he made all that stuff up?_ Duo thought, looking down. _It's just like how I was, blaming war and death on an imaginary god._ Duo suddenly felt sorry for the kid, and realized he could only relate. He was only a child, and the heartbreak of war and death could permanently scar a person into making up stories to keep their loved ones alive. Duo knew God was a simple manifestation created by people to ease their mind after death, and to give reason for the strange things in the world. A child would believe in anything, so everything Azrin said made sense, at least to the child who believed it.

"We should probably send him to an orphanage so they can find a home for him." Suggested Sally.

"No." Said Duo suddenly. The two women looked at him curiously. "I can take care of him." They gave him a shocked look, and he realized even _he_ was shocked by what he said.

Une and Sally scowled. "Duo, a child is a large responsibility. You're only seventeen." Said Sally.

"So? He likes me anyway, and he's like a little brother."

"But Duo…"

Duo turned and grabbed the door knob to the room they left Azrin in. "Besides, I know what it's like to be in his shoes."

Une and Sally gave him a sympathetic look, and watched as he shut the door behind him.

Duo found the boy sitting at the table with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his deep blue orbs staring off into space. He had a blank look, much like someone he knew, and figured he was in deep thought.

"Hey, guess you're stuck with me for a while." Said Duo, smirking playfully.

Azrin looked up at him, then jumped down from his chair and walked over to him. "Where are we going now?"

"Well, you can stay in the spare bedroom at my place for now." He paused, then realization hit him like a slap to the face. "I hadn't told Hilde! She's probably furious with me…" He sighed. "Well, guess you'll get to meet my girlfriend in the worst way."

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, surprised?"

Azrin shook his head. "I just hope she can deal with the unknown."

Duo stared at him curiously, then reminded himself that the kid had a wild imagination, and he was fabricating supernatural events to explain the horrors he had seen. "Right, she should be fine. Though I didn't really leave on good terms… I hope she's not still mad at me."

To be continued

* * *

Third chapter is up! I still need to work on my other story so... don't expect another chapter till Monday lol R&R!


	4. Sphere of Death

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the characters :*( But I love them like I did lol

Note: Sorry this was late, I was busy with the holiday! Happy belated 4th! Also warning: Character Death.

Sphere of Death

* * *

"Hey Hilde, I'm back!" Called Duo as he entered his house, Azrin's hand linked in his.

"Good, we need to talk-" Hilde was cut off by the sight before her standing in front of the door, as she looked down at the boy linked to Duo. "What's that?"

"It's a kid." Duo said, rolling his eyes.

She glared at him. "I know what he is, what I mean is, who is he and why is he with you?"

Duo was prepared for this. Well, as prepared as he was going to be. He hadn't exactly left on good terms with her, and he made sure to let Azrin know not to bring up anything about "death" in the car, if they didn't want to sleep in it. "Okay, it's kind of a long story."

Hilde plastered on a smile, which made Duo extremely nervous, and she turned to the kid, kneeling down to his level. "So what's your name?"

"Azrin." He said, shying behind Duo.

"That's a very unique name, Azrin. Would you mind if Duo and I talked for a minute? I promise it won't take long, and you can go watch TV." The little boy nodded, not without giving her a suspicious look, and walked over to the living room, plopping down on the couch with the back facing the kitchen and a 45 inch television in front of him. The strange look was not lost on Hilde, but she ignored it and turned to Duo, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Duo knew what was coming. "Okay, explain away."

Duo sighed, then spewed out everything he could remember from the time he met Azrin, to leaving him in a church, to finding out he had no one. It wasn't very hard to explain, and he made sure to omit anything having to do with "death" knowing that was a sensitive subject already. Though, stopping to think about it, the coincidences of his realization and finding a kid who seemed to believe the same thing was not lost on him.

When he finished, he knew he was probably going to be sleeping on the couch. "So you thought _you_ could take care of him? Duo, you're 17, are you even allowed to adopt?" Hilde was doing everything she could to keep her anger in check, only so she didn't blow up with Azrin in the other room. Hm, maybe there were perks to keeping him around.

"I know it was a rash decision," He started, trying to build up as much bullshit he could to make his decision sound legitimate. "And I can understand your frustration." She didn't look convinced. "I just felt that since I am the only person who understands him, I should be the one to take care of him."

"Duo there are plenty of people that can understand him!" She whispered furiously. "A _war_ happened! You are not that special in the orphan department!"

Duo had to bite his tongue to keep from blowing up. He took a deep breath, trying to think rationally and explain logically enough so she wouldn't have a rebuttal. He lowered his voice to make sure Azrin couldn't hear him. "He has these delusions about how his family died, and he clings to believing in only a god of death. It's more similar to me than anyone else."

"Then he needs help! You aren't a therapist! You can't solve all his problems!"

"I can at least try!"

"You're not even legally able to adopt him, Duo! You're not even an adult! How can you expect to raise a child if you yourself are a child!?"

"I'm an adult!" He yelled back, offended. It wasn't the most convincing argument, but it did deflate her anger.

Only it rounded back to bitterness. "You're right. You're an adult." She said, grabbing her keys and jacket. "You can handle _anything_." She opened the door, Duo's eyes widening as she stood there, giving him a condescending shake of her head. "Have fun adulting." She slammed the door behind her.

"Is everything okay?" Duo looked over to see Azrin peeking up from the couch, the television on some History channel about Ancient Egypt.

"Did you hear the whole thing?" Azrin nodded solemnly. Duo sighed. "Well, there's a spare bedroom over there. Are you hungry?" Azrin shook his head. Duo checked his watch. "It's pretty late. I'm tired, I'm sure you're tired. Why don't we call it a night?"

Azrin nodded and jumped down from the couch, turning the TV off and heading over to Duo. Duo held out his hand, letting the boy take it. Maybe she was right, maybe she wasn't. But even with that fight still rolling around in his mind, he couldn't let Azrin see how it affected him. Azrin didn't need to see the pain going through him right now.

* * *

Azrin woke with a start at the sound of a large thump somewhere in his room. He looked around, the darkness surrounding him as the shadows etched themselves in the corners. He spotted something in the far upper corner of his room, something pale and white. He slowly moved out of his bed to take a closer look, his feet lightly touching the ground.

He stopped, his eyes widening at the stark pale face hanging in the corner. Black strands of hair hung in its face, obscuring the features as large brown eyes stared lifeless at him. He shivered, taking a step back, when suddenly its mouth dropped open and a loud gurgling noise filtered the room.

Azrin ran out of the door and straight to Duo's room, bursting in and jumping on the bed beside him, nearly scaring Duo to death.

"What the hell?!" Screamed Duo, sitting up and staring at the bundle in the sheets, shivering. "Azrin, what the hell are you doing?! Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Azrin peeked out from under the sheets, looking around with horrified deep blue eyes. "T-There was s-someone in my r-room…" He mumbled out.

Duo lifted an eyebrow. "There was someone in your room?" He asked, getting out of bed and walking to the room Azrin had been sleeping in. He opened the door and turned the lights on, the room completely still and empty. "I don't see anyone."

"She was there, in the corner." He said, pointing up to where he saw the face.

Duo stifled a laugh. "Uh, I don't think anyone can cling to the ceiling unless they're a ninja."

"But I saw her!" He said, giving Duo a serious look.

Duo sighed, figuring the poor kid had had a nightmare. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you can sleep with me tonight."

Azrin nodded and followed him into the other room, where they stumbled into the full size bed and covered themselves in the sheets, lying back to back. Duo turned off the lamp and yawned. "Night."

"Goodnight…" Mumbled Azrin. He stared at the open closet, the darkness engulfing the inside. He tensed, seeing the face appear again. However, it didn't move, and Azrin stared at it for the rest of the night.

Duo rolled over as the sun shinned in through the large window, and almost squished Azrin in the process. "Oh, you're awake…" He said, noticing the bags under the kid's eyes as he continued to stare at the closet. The door was shut, which Duo didn't remember doing. "Did you close the closet?"

Azrin shook his head, shivering slightly.

"Oh… Another nightmare?"

He shook his head again. "Okay… want something to eat?"

The boy nodded and got out of bed, heading into the kitchen and sitting on one of the bar stools. Duo followed shortly behind, grabbing milk and eggs from the fridge and turning on the stove. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Sunny side up…" He said, staring at the countertop. "Has anyone died here?" He asked suddenly.

Duo paused. "Uh, not that I know of…"

"Oh…"

Duo stared at him. "Why?"

Azrin shook his head. "Nothing." He paused. "How long have you lived here?"

"Um, about two years." He lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just asking."

"Okay…" He continued making the eggs.

"Have you ever seen a ghost?"

Duo nearly dropped the spatula, then turned to face the kid. "Does this have to do with the nightmare you had last night?"

"It wasn't a nightmare. I know what I saw! She followed me into your room!"

"Let me guess, you can see ghosts too." Azrin frowned. "Is that why you closed the closet?"

"I didn't close the closet! It was her!"

Duo sighed. "Right, the ghost." His cell phone started blaring, and he looked at it hoping it would be Hilde, but saw Wufei's number instead. "Hello?" He answered, wondering if it was another mission, already.

"We need to talk." Said the voice on the other line.

"Okay, what about?" Asked Duo. Azrin eyed him.

"About the kid."

Duo paused. "Did you find something out?"

"I don't know, but we need to talk."

Duo leaned away, trying to cover his voice so Azrin wouldn't hear. "We can't do it around him."

"I know. Quatre's in town. He's staying at the Holloway Hotel. I'm sure he wouldn't mind watching him for a couple hours."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to just drop him in his lap."

"He'll understand. Meet me there in an hour."

"Wait, I…" He was met with dial tone. He looked at Azrin with a cheesy grin, which the boy didn't buy. "Looks like we're going to visit a friend, that sound okay?"

"Okay..."

* * *

"Yes, I'm sure that would be helpful. Thank you." Said Quatre as him and a group of men in suits entered the lobby of their hotel. They stopped, seeing an Asian Preventer waiting for them. "Oh, Wufei. What brings you here?" He asked, walking over to him.

Wufei eyed the men following the Arabian, and they quickly headed out the door to their limo. "I have a favor to ask."

"Uh, sure, what is it?"

"Duo and I have to talk, but he has a kid with him that will get in the way."

Quatre frowned. He hadn't expected this. He thought he would be asking about a mission or something. "A kid? When did Duo get a kid?"

"He met him yesterday, and he's looking after him."

"Why doesn't he just take him home?"

"It's a long story. Anyway, I was wondering if you could watch him for a couple hours."

This was really unexpected, and why was he being asked to babysit? Did he seem like the type to handle kids well? Okay, maybe. "Well, I have a couple meetings to go to… I guess it can wait if it's important."

"Thank you."

The two looked up when they saw someone enter through the rotating doors. Duo was holding a child's hand, who didn't look any older that seven or eight. The boy had the darkest black hair Quatre had ever seen, and large deep blue eyes. They were talking about something, arguing underneath their breath, and stopped when they made it over to the fellow former Gundam Pilots.

"Hey Quatre! Long time no see!"

"Same to you." Quatre looked at the boy, sensing something odd about him, and scowled. "There's something off about him…" He mumbled, though neither Duo nor Azrin heard. Wufei looked at him, slightly surprised by the comment but kept to himself. "So what's your name?" He asked, smiling.

The boy shied away and hid behind Duo, peeking out slightly. "Azrin…"

"Wow, that's a very unique name. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. It's nice to meet you Azrin."

Azrin nodded, but didn't say anything else.

"Wufei and I have to have a discussion." Said Duo. "Quatre's going to watch you for a while."

Azrin gave him a determined look. "I told you, I have to stay with you!"

Wufei and Duo rolled their eyes, and Quatre stood there confused. "It's just for a couple of hours. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Yeah and I'll get attacked like last night!"

Duo frowned and gave him a warning look. "It was a nightmare, there was nothing there." He said between gritted teeth.

"No it wasn't, she would have gotten me if I hadn't run into your room!"

"Who are they talking about?" Asked Quatre, watching the two argue like siblings.

Wufei shrugged. "Got me."

Seriously, this again? "None of that stuff is real! You're just imagining things!" Argued Duo.

"You don't believe me? How can you not believe me? You're just like me!"

"No I'm not!" Duo had had enough, and his patience was wearing thin. It didn't help having a fight with Hilde last night. "I'm normal! And so are you!"

"How can I show you I'm telling the truth?" He paused, realization washing over his face, making Duo go pale. "Wait! I know how!" He said, running off and out the hotel door.

"Wait! Azrin!" Yelled Duo, chasing after him.

Quatre and Wufei stood there in confusion. "He's a little troublemaker." Said Wufei. Quatre gave a nervous laugh.

"Azrin!" Yelled Duo, following the kid passed the parking lot and towards the street. "Get back here!"

"I have to show you I'm telling the truth!" He yelled, stopping at the crosswalk. Once the light turned green, he waited for the cars to pass. Duo headed for him, and just as he was about to grab him, Azrin jumped out into traffic and in front of a speeding car.

Duo's heart seemed to skip a beat as he watched in terror, his legs moving outside his control as he slammed into the small body and barely flew passed the on coming vehicle. They hit the concrete and rolled to the other side, out of harms way.

Wufei and Quatre exited the hotel just in time to see the display in front of them. Quatre went stark white as he ran after them to make sure they were alright, and Wufei followed, a worn look on his face.

"Duo!" Yelled Quatre, bringing the young pilot back to reality.

Duo sat up, holding Azrin as people began to gather and ask if they were alright. "Azrin?"

The boy looked up at him, and immediately pushed away. "Why did you save me?"

Duo became furious. "Because you were gonna die! I can't let anything happen to you!"

"I can heal! I wouldn't have died!"

"What do you mean you can heal?! You can't heal from death!"

" _I_ can! I can't die!"

"Yes you can!"

"No I can't!"

People started to back away, realizing they were just fine as they stood up and started arguing back and forth. Wufei and Quatre stood at the other side of the street watching the display with worry.

"How can I prove it to you if you won't let me?!"

"I'm not willing to risk your life on the asinine ideal that you can escape death!"

"I never said I can escape it! I said I'm apart of it!"

"Stop saying that! You're normal! You can't heal yourself!"

"You saw me do it yesterday! When I cut myself!"

"That was a fluke."

"You can't heal on a fluke!"

"And you can't go trying to kill yourself either!"

Azrin looked down in anger, trying to figure out a way he could prove to Duo he was right, when he saw a shiny object inside his jacket. His eyes widened, and he quickly reached in and pulled out the gun.

Duo's eyes widened when he saw what the boy had grabbed, and immediately took hold of the weapon and tried to pull it back. "What the hell?! Give it back!"

"No! I can show you!"

"Guns aren't toys Azrin! This is serious! Give it back!"

"Not until I prove to you I can't die!"

"Yes you ca-"

Duo was cut off by a shot ringing through the air, making everyone around them jump. Azrin finally pulled the gun free, but dropped it when he saw the horrified look on Duo's face. Duo started to stumble, then looked down. Azrin followed his gaze, and his eyes widened in fear.

Blood covered his white shirt and black jacket around his abdomen, as his hands pulled away drenched in the crimson liquid. Azrin backed up, realizing what he did, as Duo fell to his knees and people started screaming around them.

Azrin's eyes widened as he mumbled apologies, people gathering and calling 911. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Wufei and Quatre stared in fright, running over to their comrade and catching him as he fell backwards. "Duo? Duo!" yelled Quatre, but the shocked look on Duo's face told them he couldn't hear them.

"Duo, hold on!" Yelled Wufei, frantically dialing emergency.

"I'm sorry…" Said Azrin, backing away. Wufei sent a glare towards him, making the boy shudder.

"Get away from him!" He roared, pushing the child away.

Tears formed in Azrin's eyes, and he turned and ran off, disappearing into the crowd.

Duo stared up at the artificial sky of the colony, his vision becoming blurry as he felt dizzy and weak. Pain racked through his body as blood poured from his wound and distant voices filled his ears. He saw a blonde orb above him, but he couldn't make out the words the person was saying. His mind was blank, his thoughts escaping him as he wallowed in the fuzzy visions before him.

He saw Hilde, when they first met, then when he saved her from getting hit by her own men. He remembered the talk they had when he was held captive, but the words were mumbled and incoherent. He remembered her finding him in the hanger before he blasted the door out. He remembered her saving him from the mobile dolls.

He remembered finding her after he escaped the Lunar Base. The time they spent together, the laughs they had. He remembered the circus when he found Trowa, and later when the White Fang tried getting him to join them.

He felt his body shutter as his temperature dropped. He felt himself being picked up off the ground and set into an enclosed room. Everything was spinning, as his vision went in an out of focus. He saw two figures, both unrecognizable and fuzzy. He felt everything around him spinning and moving, as a man in a white mask tried talking to him, but he couldn't understand what he was saying.

Duo closed his eyes, wanting to go back to the visions of the girl he remembered. He shuddered, another wave of pain washing over him. He tried to remember the times he spent with her, when she escaped from Libra, and when he first went back to her after the war. She had run and hugged him, the first time anyone had done so since Sister Helen.

He wanted to stay in that place, where she was, with her warm smile. He wanted to stay with her. He wanted her. He wanted her there with him. He needed her.

"Duo, everything's going to be okay…" Said Quatre, his face pale as his voice and body shook with anxiety. "Everything will be okay."

Wufei was silent, staring at the convulsing figure of his friend as the Paramedics tried covering the shot wound and stopping the blood. The doctor was screaming at the drivers to go faster, the ambulance sirens blaring around them. Duo was stark white, with large bags under his eyes and sweat drenching his face. Quatre held his friend's hand, trying to comfort him with words knowing he couldn't hear, but more trying to sooth his own beating heart.

After what felt like hours, they finally reached the hospital, a team of paramedics rushing to the ambulance and pulling out the stretcher that held Duo. Quatre and Wufei watched as they ran him into the hospital, following shortly behind.

Duo could see lights flashing above him, and more unrecognizable figures yelling to each other and saying something to him. He pictured Hilde standing there, but he knew he couldn't reach her. He tried calling out her name, but he couldn't hear his own voice. Everything was getting darker, his vision becoming fuzzier and the voices sounding more distant. He saw what looked like a sphere of light encircling him, the surface shiny like glass. He tried reaching out to touch it, but he couldn't move. He felt a bolt of electricity firing through him, and the sphere cracked. He saw the electricity surrounding the sphere and shattering it to pieces.

He felt the air leave his lungs, and everything faded to darkness.

To be continued

* * *

Ahhh! Well, lemme know what you think :)


	5. Visions of Death

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Duo :(

Note: I know this is a small chapter, but it seemed appropriate to end it where I did :)

Vision of Death

* * *

"Clear!"

"We need more cloth! We have to stop the bleeding!"

"Clear!"

"Someone get me bandages! He's still losing blood!"

"One more time! Clear!"

The heart monitor rang still as the beating of his heart stopped and the young man's eyes glazed over, lifeless. The doctors shook their head, looking up at the clock. "Call time of Death, eleven twenty-three." Said the doctor, closing the teenager's eyes.

One of the doctors threw their masks down in defeat, heading out the door to inform the loved ones of the boy's death. The others stayed, cleaning up the room and unhooking some of the wires connected to the body.

They heard a beep, and stopped. They heard it again, and looked over at the heart monitor in shock.

They began to scramble, patching up the wound and shocking him again.

The heart monitor let out a steady beat.

The doctors stood in astonishment, looking up at the clock. "It's a miracle! Someone tell the family he's alive!"

* * *

Quatre and Wufei stood outside in the waiting room looking worse for wear. Wufei was pacing back and forth mumbling curses to himself, while Quatre sat on one of the couches staring blankly into space while twiddling his thumbs.

The doctor walked in and they immediately gave him their attention. They stood.

"How is he?" Asked Quatre, as pale as a sheet of paper.

"He should make it, we got him stable." They both let out a sigh of relief. "We almost lost him, so we advise it would be best to wait to see him until we run a few more tests."

They gave him a concerned look. "What do you mean?"

"He was dead for three minutes."

Both pilots paled considerably.

"But we brought him back. It was a miracle, you should be thankful." They looked away. "If you want to wait you can, but give it a few hours before you see him, okay?"

They nodded, and the doctor left.

* * *

Duo awoke to the clicking of a clock overhead, his eyes fluttering open to darkness. When they adjusted, he saw a plain four-corner room with white washed walls and a bed bedside his. He sat up, his head feeling slightly dizzy as he took in more of his surroundings.

He was in a hospital, he gathered. He tried to remember what happened last, and a flood of fuzzy images filled his mind. The only clear thing he could remember was arguing with Azrin.

 _Azrin!_ He thought, hoping the boy was okay. He got out of bed and headed into the bathroom to wash up, planning on leaving before anyone noticed so he could find the kid.

When he entered the bathroom he was met with a pale image of himself. He stared at it, the reflection showing his skin had paled at least five shades, making him look deathly ill.

"Is that really me?" He said to himself, reaching his hand up and touching the mirror.

He froze, seeing his tanned arm connected to himself, and the pale reflection of the other touching the surface of the mirror. He slowly pulled his arm back, hoping it was only an illusion, when he realized the reflection was in the same position, his hand unmoving.

Duo backed up, watching as the paler image of himself gave him a blank look, then snapped his head to the side, making an odd popping sound. Duo jumped and backed up into the wall, his blood running cold as he began to sweat nervously. The mirror Duo suddenly pushed his hand through and placed it on the countertop, then slowly popped his head again and started crawling over the sink.

Duo nearly screamed as he left the room and ran into the hallway, the lights dimmed and empty. He looked back, seeing nothing in his wake, and realized it hadn't come after him.

 _What the hell was that?!_ He thought to himself, debating whether he should go back inside or not.

"What are you here for?" Asked a small voice, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He swerved around to see a small girl, but she didn't have any hair. He sighed, thankful there was someone around.

"Oh, um, I think I got shot." He said, touching his stomach. He hadn't realized it before, but the pain was gone.

"Oh. I died of cancer."

Duo paused. "You died? But you're still here."

"I know; no one came for me." She said, her voice becoming oddly distant. Duo gave her a curious look as she turned and suddenly walked through the wall, disappearing out of sight.

Duo jumped back, realizing he had seen some type of hallucination, then took off running down the hall. He didn't care that he was in only a hospital gown, or that it showed his backside to the world. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Duo made his way through the back alleys towards his house, making sure no one saw him in nothing but a hospital gown and to avoid being sent back. Luckily by now the streets were empty and no one drove these parts unless they were delivering junk to the junkyard.

"At least I haven't hallucinated since then…" He mumbled to himself, crossing the abandoned street. He deducted that he had hit his head at some point and was seeing crazy dreams in real life, instead of where they should be, in his nightmares. He also wanted to find Azrin just to make sure he was alright, but he didn't even know where to start looking.

* * *

Duo's mind was lost in thought as he made it down another deserted alley between two buildings and headed out into the street without looking. He was so caught up, he didn't even see the car coming until it was too late.

Duo looked up when he saw the headlights speeding closer, and finally noticed the horn sounding through his ears. For a split second he wasn't worried, because he knew somehow he wouldn't get hurt or he would avoid death like he always did. Hell, he was _shot_ and he still didn't die.

However, Duo's thoughts were torn when the car smacked into him, breaking his shins and sending him flying over the car, tumbling over the windshield and hood to smack into the concrete below, breaking his ribs on impact. The car lost control and swerved a bit too late, crashing into the side of a building and knocking the driver out cold.

Duo lay on the ground in a crumpled bloody mess, his left arm twisted underneath him and his legs bending below the knee as gashes littered his body and he stared at the concrete. His mind was blank as he tried to register what had happened, but the pain was excruciating.

 _Am I alive?_ He thought, trying to move. He was able to push himself up with his good arm, staring at the large gash in his stomach and his broken shins. He stared in disbelief, knowing a cut like that on the abdomen should have killed him, but he didn't feel in the least bit dizzy or faint. He remembered what it felt like to get shot. Everything became blurry, but now it was all clear.

However, the agonizing pain was still there.

He looked down at his legs and almost wanted to vomit, seeing the bone protruding from the flesh in a sickening way. He didn't know what to do; he had three broken limbs, cuts and bruises all over him, and blood pouring from a large wound on his stomach. He could only imagine what the internal damage was. He had to move, but he didn't know where to go.

Suddenly something caught his eye, and he looked down at the large cut on his arm as it suddenly started to disappear. Blood should have drenched his arm, but instead it clotted up immediately and started rapidly healing itself, like his immune system was on overdrive. Within seconds, it was gone; no scar, no nothing. It was as if it had never been there in the first place.

He was in such a stupor; he didn't know what to think. He looked down at the open gash on his stomach, and watched as it began to heal itself up as well. He could feel strange popping in his chest, like his ribs were being put back together.

He looked down at his legs, watching as the bone snapped inward and the open cut healed back to solid skin. Cuts and bruises started to disappear, and within a couple minutes, there wasn't a single scratch on him.

He stood, covered in blood and torn clothing, looking down at himself and feeling for any wounds on his stomach. Even the bullet wound was gone, and he felt completely fine.

 _Was it a dream?_ He thought, panicking. _How the hell did this just happen?!_ He knew it couldn't have been a dream, because he felt the pain. It was real; agonizing. There was no other explanation besides he simply healed himself. Yet, that had never happened before. He had had many scrapes and bruises when he was younger, and it always took weeks just to make the swelling go down. Never had he had this serious of injury disappear within a couple minutes. What in the world was going on?!

He shook his head, deciding it was best to get home before anyone saw him, and ran off in the other direction.

The man in the vehicle lifted his bleeding head, watching the person he just hit run off into the distance.

To be continued

* * *

Done! Again, I know it's short, but with everything that happens next I didn't want to overwhelm with all the craziness that's going to happen from here. It was a slow start before, but it picks up considerably form here on. :)


	6. Void of Death

Disclaimer: I don't own GW or Duo...

Note: Sorry this is late, I've been caught up in studying for an exam to get my P&C license :/ also, more chapters will be late until I pass the exam.

Void of Death

* * *

Hilde grumbled when she heard her phone vibrating on the nightstand in her hotel room from the shower. She could ignore it, knowing it must be Duo, but since this was the first time he tried to call her since yesterday, she couldn't help herself as she shuffled out of the bathroom with a towel on and leaving the shower running to grab her phone and answer without looking at the name.

"What do you want Duo?" She sneered before she could stop herself. If she was going to be sour about it why did she answer?

However, Duo's voice was not who answered back. "Hilde, have you seen Duo?"

Hilde recognized the gentle voice of Duo's blonde friend, but it sounded panicked and nervous. Hilde started to feel the creeping anxiety attached to that voice, as she began to second-guess her decision to leave. Had Duo done something stupid because of her? "No, I haven't seen him since yesterday. What happened?"

"He was in the hospital, but the doctors said he snuck out or something. We can't find him."

She was panicking now. "Why was he in the hospital?!"

Quatre hesitated, and she knew he didn't want to explain but he had to tell her, there wasn't any way of getting out of it. "He was shot, but he's stable, so he's okay." He quickly reassured her before she could freak out. "But he's walking around with a bullet wound and he could hurt himself even more."

"Oh my god, I'll go find him." She said, rushing to grab something to throw on while she was on the phone. "Did you try calling him?"

"He left his cell here at the hospital." He said. "Along with his clothes."

"So what, he's _naked_?!"

"He's probably wearing a hospital gown."

"Why would he leave in the first place?!"

"We don't know. Maybe to go look for Azrin? We got separated from when he was shot."

She expertly tossed on a cami and wiggled into her shorts, hopping towards the door while trying to slip on her shoes. "How did he get shot in the first place?!"

"We'll explain later, just help us find him before he gets hurt…worse."

"Okay, I'll head back to my place and see if he shows up. You check the café he usually meets you at. If you don't find him, call me." She pocketed the phone, not even bothering to do anything with her wet hair, and bolted out of the hotel room as fast as she could.

* * *

Duo locked the door to his house once he entered, shutting all the blinds and keeping the lights off. He didn't want anyone to see him, since he was supposed to be in recovery from a shot wound right now. The last thing he needed were people questioning him about something he couldn't explain himself.

He made it passed the kitchen and headed towards his room to find something to wear. He paused, thinking he saw someone peek from behind the island in the kitchen.

"Azrin?" He turned around, slowly making his way over, hoping it was Azrin, but when he looked, there was nothing there. He shook his head, thinking he was seeing things, then went back into his bedroom to rummage through his clothes.

He first grabbed underwear and a pair of skinny jeans Hilde didn't like him wearing, throwing them on and looking through the drawers for a shirt or jacket. He slipped on a red t-shirt and found a hoodie lying on the floor. He rolled up the sleeves and proceeded to find a pair of clean socks.

He jumped, hearing a thud come from his closet.

"Azrin? Is that you?" He looked over at the sliding closed doors in apprehension, slowly walking over and hoping it was just Azrin hiding behind it. He grabbed the handle and yanked.

However, it wouldn't budge. He tried pulling harder, but for some reason it was stuck. He had never had trouble with it before, and this place had been remodeled two years ago, so why was it stuck? He put all his strength in it, and opened it a crack.

Duo yelped and jumped back, seeing a pale face staring at him through the crack with wide brown eyes and blood dripping from its mouth. The face opened its mouth slowly and started making a gurgling sound as more of the crimson liquid poured out.

Duo fell back onto the bed, staring at the face in horror as it slammed the closet shut and more blood continued to spill onto the floor, leaking from cracks and corners and staining the carpet. He shook his head, not believing what he was seeing, and when he looked again, everything was gone.

Not a stain, not a drop of blood, nothing.

"This is nuts…" He mumbled to himself, hastily grabbing a pair of socks and shoes and bolting out of the room. He headed straight for the door. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he wasn't staying here. He grabbed the front door and yanked it open, coming face to face with another girl.

Duo yelped and jumped back before realizing it was Hilde. "Oh my god, Duo!" She jumped into his arms, and he just stood there, still shocked.

Until it finally hit him who was hugging him, and he buried his face in her shoulder and embraced her with all of his failing sanity. "Hilde…"

"Duo, are you okay?" She asked, pushing him back and looking at him. She looked confused. "What happened? Quatre said you were shot…"

"Hilde… I…" He said, not knowing where to begin. Hilde looked up at him, and his pale complexion and anxiety ridden features was enough to make her panic again.

"Duo? What's wrong? What happened?"

He started shaking, fidgeting, looking anywhere but at her face, and she could see the past events of the day playing through his eyes. The confusion and fear was more than what she had ever seen in him, and it scared her…

"Hilde… I don't know what happened to me…" He stumbled back and onto one of the stools in the kitchen surrounding the island, trying to find something stable. "I-I think I'm going crazy…"

"My god, Duo, you don't look so good…" She said, trying to hold his balance. "You shouldn't have left the hospital, you could get sick."

Duo jumped, making Hilde jump, and he looked around like he heard a sound. Fear seemed to flow back into him as he scrambled up and yanked her out of the house. "I don't want to stay here anymore, let's go somewhere else."

"Um, okay…" she didn't know how to argue with this strange, frightened, puppy-like copy of her boyfriend. Why was he acting so strange? She held on to him, knowing he might fall apart if she let go. She lead him to her car. "We can go to my hotel room."

He nodded, slipping in and staring at the dashboard. "Okay…"

She got in and looked at him. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

* * *

When they got to the hotel, Hilde set the car in park and looked over at Duo. He hadn't moved an inch. She gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder, shocking him back to reality. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, the fear in him subsiding. "I'll be okay…"

"Okay… What happened?"

He didn't answer for a moment, leaving the air stagnate. He sighed. "I don't know…"

"Well, why don't you start from the beginning? How did you get shot?"

He sighed again, looking up and recollecting his thoughts. "It started when me and Azrin got into an argument about…" He trailed off, realization hitting him like a scythe to the gut. "Oh god, Azrin!" He fumbled with the car door and got out.

"Wait, Duo!" Hilde followed, standing up by the drivers side and calling out to him. "Where are you going?!"

"I have to find Azrin!" He said, looking panicked again. But the fear was different. It wasn't the fear for his sanity this time.

"Okay, where could he have gone?"

"I-I don't know…"

"Why don't we look together? You can't be running around with a shot wound."

"I'm fine, just wait for me." He said, turning around and taking off before she could coax him back into the car.

"But, Duo!" She watched as he ran off. "Duo, you don't even know what room number I'm in!" He stopped, looking at her expectantly, and she sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get him back into the car. "It's 304!" He nodded, and took off again.

She sighed and sat back in the car. "All I ever do is wait…"

* * *

Duo made his way through the crowded streets of the large city, looking for any sight of Azrin and making sure to avoid any more hallucinations. So far he had encountered a man walking into the street and getting hit by a semi, a teenager getting thrown out of a bar with a shot wound to the head, and a kid walking the streets asking if anyone saw his brother. All had disappeared, and all had appeared unusual compared to normal people.

It was almost like he could _sense_ a difference between the weird apparitions and humans who walked among the living. It was one thing for him to think Death followed him, and quite another to actually _see_ it.

It was freaking him out, but he kept Azrin on his mind. It kept him grounded with a goal that could get his mind off the freak show he was witnessing. Besides, the sooner he could find Azrin, the sooner he could get some answers.

Duo paused, thinking he saw a little black haired boy in the crowd, but realized it wasn't the same raven black color. He sighed, looking down at the pavement with guilt. _Where did he go? He was my responsibility, and I lost him. Great babysitter I am…_

Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and he looked around to see a strange hooded figure in the crowd. The person was wearing a black trench-like coat with its hood obscuring his face. If Duo didn't know any better, he would have thought it was a black spot in the middle of a picture.

He paused, realizing the figure wasn't moving, and it was facing towards him. He turned around and took off at a steady pace, ignoring it only to see if it would follow him. He looked back, seeing the figure standing in the crowd the same distance away as the first time. He quickened his pace, turning a corner to try and lose the figure.

He stopped dead, seeing the person standing in the crowd in front of him, sending a shiver down his spine. He took off at a mad sprint, hoping to somehow lose the person following him, a deep sense of dread falling to the pit of his stomach. He spotted a Preventer Station and made a bee line for it, refusing to look anywhere else for fear the figure would appear in front of him instead.

He burst into the doors like he had ran a home run, trying to catch his breath. He walked over to the desk with the receptionist, leaning on the counter to maintain balance. "Is Quatre and Wufei here?"

The receptionist looked stark white, shaking her head. "Um, no, they're looking for you…"

"They are?" He asked, blanking on the reason.

"Weren't you in the hospital for a shot wound…?"

Duo froze, dawning on him that he had no way to explain his miraculous healing. In fact, he had avoided that whole conversation with Hilde because he had no idea what to say. He was confused himself, and the last thing he wanted was to be taken into a testing facility and dissected.

He couldn't stay; he had to leave. How was he going to explain what happened, if he didn't even know himself? He needed answers, but the only person who had them was missing.

He needed to find Azrin.

He didn't even utter a word before he bolted out of there, the receptionist yelling for him to stop.

* * *

Duo had no idea where to start searching for Azrin. He looked at the café they went to the first time, and that was the only place he thought he might have been. He hadn't known him long enough to get to know him, or figure where his favorite places were. All he could think to do was file a missing person's report, but that wasn't a good idea because for one, it hadn't been twenty-four hours since he last saw him; and second, it would expose himself.

He paused. _Well, if I'm not human, maybe I can sense him… or something supernatural like that…_ He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, but didn't really know what he was looking for. Was he supposed to feel any different? Was he supposed to see something in his mind? He had no idea what he was supposed to feel, let alone do to sense someone. He sighed, defeated.

Suddenly a cold chill ran up his spine, the same feeling he got when he saw that hooded figure in the crowd. He looked around, feeling uneasy, hoping that thing hadn't followed him. He sighed, not seeing a single thing that could remotely be considered an enemy. He turned to head off down the road.

He froze. His blood ran cold, as the figure from earlier stood before him in a menacing glory only inches away. The person stood at least five inches taller than himself, surrounded by an eerie darkness, as his hood shrouded his face from sight. He was covered from head to toe in a long black trench coat that hugged his slender and muscular form. If Duo didn't know any better, he would have thought he was looking at the manifestation of Darkness itself.

He backedaway. He could feel the figure's gaze following him, ominously. He gulped, frozen solid and unable to run for his life, and hoping to whatever god was up there he would have mercy on him and bail him out of this predicament. Which was unlikely.

Duo felt another chill go up his spine, as the figure spoke like he commanded the darkness around him. "Where is the boy, Azrin?"

"I-I don't know… I haven't seen him since this morning." He said, being honest.

Duo had the distinct feeling that wasn't the answer he should have given. The figure then held out his hand, as black mist started to form around it, molding into a long staff. A blade burst from the hilt, curving around like a sickle. Duo recognized that weapon all too well, and his fear that Death was following him had finally come to fruition, in the worst way.

Duo held up his hands in defense. "L-Look, I really don't know where he is!" He said, becoming defiant. "And if I did I wouldn't tell _you_." Duo wished he could smack himself for that last comment. He was never a coward, but he usually didn't provoke an enemy that could slice him in half within a millisecond.

The figure started pulsating anger, and Duo felt like he had aggravated Armageddon itself. He did the first thing he could think of in this situation.

He turned and ran.

However, before he could get very far, the figure appeared in front of him, slicing the air with his scythe in an attempt to behead Duo. Luckily the braided pilot was quick enough to duck, though ended up falling down again and trying to scramble to his feet.

The figure held out his hand again, and for a moment Duo figured he was going to summon another weapon, when suddenly he felt like something was tugging on his arms and legs. He looked down, his eyes widening, as he saw smoke of darkness begin to wrap itself around him and pull him beneath the surface of the sidewalk they were on.

Duo tried to pull away from the black mist, but it seemed to have a tight grip on him, as it continued to pull him farther and farther into the black void. He looked around, hoping to call for help, but no one seemed to think anything was wrong. He thought that maybe seeing a giant hole of darkness swallow someone up would be frightening to the public, but it was as if they couldn't see him.

 _Are they blind?_ He thought to himself, but figured that since normal people couldn't see ghosts, this had to be something similar considering he was trying to run away from _Death_. "Let go, I don't know where he is!" He yelled, thrashing and struggling against his restraints. He feared what might be beyond the Void of Darkness. It could permanently kill him, or it could be a gate into Hell. What if it brought him to the other side and stuck him in Purgatory? Or maybe it was to the Black Abyss. He didn't want to think about being stuck in a void of darkness for all eternity.

The figure smirked as he watched the pathetic creature struggle. There was no way out, not against him. Whether he liked it or not, he was _going_ to get some answers, even if he had to torture him to get it.

Fear racked through Duo as the darkness surrounded him, gulping him down and dragging him out of sight. Everything went black, and the fear that he would never see Hilde or his friends again started to spill over.

For the first time in his life, he was afraid to die.

* * *

Hilde checked her phone every couple seconds, barely paying attention to the pay-per-view on the 42-inch television. She was worried. More than for Duo's safety. She was worried for his sanity. He had never looked so scared in his life. And he had fought in a _war_. Hell, he called himself _Death_ and paraded around the battlefield leaving bodies in his wake.

She shivered to think about the past. He wasn't actually _that_ bad, but she knew his past haunted him.

But not like this. This was something recent, something _now_. Something had scared him far worse than what PTSD he had left from the war.

Hilde jumped when she heard a knock on her hotel door, and lit up. "Thank god you're back!" She said, rushing to open it. She quickly grabbed the handle and yanked the door open.

However, standing there wasn't Duo, but a tall looming figure in a black cloak. The figure smirked, Hilde giving it a confused look.

"Who are you?"

To be continued

* * *

Okay, finally another chapter.

Also, I ask that you please review if you like this story or even if you don't like it, I will take creative criticism. Even if you just send a "nice" or "lol" I don't care, I just want to know that people are actually reading this. Reviews help the writer get motivated for writing more. With my exam overshadowing me, I need some positivity -_-


	7. Death's Prison

Disclaimer: Still don't own GW

Death's Prison

* * *

Whimpers could be heard in the old cemetery on the outskirts of the main part of the city. They were faint and nearly soundless, until one got closer to the mausoleum on the hill at the top of the graveyard. The door was slightly askew, guarded by stone angels on either side, an inscription at the top reading "Death is a Bridge to Heaven." Inside there was no light but the sliver from the doorway, cutting through and landing on a small frame in the back.

Azrin couldn't stop the sobbing as he shook and hugged his little knees, trying to hug himself since that was the only comfort he was getting. He tried to muffle his sobs, but they would not break, and the tears would not stop.

"Duo…" He mumbled, barely audible and definitely unable to reach his former caretaker. "I-I'm sorry…"

Azrin was startled when he heard a creek from the large door, and jumped behind the stone slab in the middle of the room holding a sculpture of the late Heero Yuy. The door opened, and a young man stepped through.

Azrin peeked out, frightened, seeing the older boy looking directly where he was, knowing he was there. His dull blue eyes were cold, and his face was contorted into a scowl. He walked closer, making it half way before calling out to the kid.

"What are you doing in here?"

The smaller boy stood, still trying to stifle his snivels, walking out only slightly and holding onto the crypt. "W-Who are you…?" He asked, taking in the sight.

From what he could see in the little light and silhouette, the young man was tall and probably close to Duo's age, maybe older. His blonde hair was short and messy towards the front, while buzzed in the back and around the sides. He wore a red shirt and tan hoodie, no type of art or graphics, just plain. His hands were shoved in his beige cargo pants.

For someone who didn't look all that dark, his aura was menacing.

They young man didn't answer, only studied the boy, looking him up and down, sizing him up. His scowl turned to a defensive glare. "What is a Reaper doing in the mortal plane? And in a human body?"

Azrin was able to subdue his cries as it dawned on him this person wasn't human either. His aura was familiar, but it wasn't like his. Was he an undead? "I got stuck here… Do you know how to get back?"

"Why would I know, I'm not a Reaper."

"But you know about Reapers. Can you help me find one?"

"I don't think so." He said, looming over the boy. Azrin started to cower, feeling the darkening aura become angry and foreboding. "You got the wrong idea about me kid. I don't like Reapers."

* * *

Duo couldn't pinpoint the sounds he heard that woke him up. They were ominous and eerie, like moaning wind whispering through a windowsill. He felt a chill, but there was no feeling of air around him. It came from within, like his body heat was starting to freeze him.

His sight was met with dark metal rust in the form of ceiling tile. There was no light, but there was a light source, thought he couldn't tell where from. His vision came into focus, and he finally sat up.

He was in some type of cell. The bars were old and worn, but they didn't look weak. He was lying on the metal ground, but he couldn't feel any sensation from the touch, only from what he could feel inside.

He was dizzy, like he wasn't really experiencing everything with his normal senses. He could see and hear, but his sense of touch was off, like he was "feeling" from the inside, instead of through his skin. He looked down at his hands, but they looked normal. He felt for any wounds, but he felt normal. He could feel his skin upon touch, but nothing else.

There was no smell either. In fact, there was no air, like he was in the void of outer space. He tried inhaling, but nothing came, yet he didn't feel like he was suffocating.

It was a weird, dizzying sensation as he tried to adjust. Two of his senses were gone, but he felt another sense in the pit of his stomach. It was a type of "feeling," like pressure all around him, though not by heavy air sense. It was hard to describe, and Duo couldn't quite understand it just sitting in a cell.

He righted himself, standing up and feeling a bit wobbly. He walked to the bars of his cell and tried grabbing them. He could feel them, but not through his hand. It was like he was wearing a glove; he could feel the solidness of the bars but the temperature and texture were lost on him.

He looked out, seeing a dark prison. There was light skewed around every corner, and sometimes in corners, but it seemed to be coming from nowhere. He was on the second floor of some type of cellblock. The floors seemed to reach high above and out of sight, and stretched to infinity in either direction, with a couple of hallways and corners here and there. None of the cells were lit, and he couldn't see any other prisoners. However, he got the feeling that just because he couldn't see them, didn't mean they weren't there.

He took a deep breath; he needed to figure out how to get out, before figuring out where he was. Sneaking in was his specialty, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to get out.

Unfortunately, he was still too disoriented to think clearly, as he stared down at his hand. He flexed his fingers, feeling the joints and muscle like normal, then disappearing. It was weird, like his nervous system was fritzing and flickering like a power source. He tried to focus on the feeling of the joints and muscle again, then pressed his hand to the bars to see if he could feel them like normal.

And passed his hand right through the bars.

Duo jumped back, holding his hand. That was new. He reached out and touched the bars, feeling the mass but not the texture, with that strange feeling like gloves were on his hands. He pulled back, then focused on the muscle in his hands, and tried touching it again.

His hand went right through. He pulled back, took what would normally be a deep breath, but was mostly just relief leaving his body, and tried focusing on all of the muscle and joints in his body, and walked right through the bars.

He found himself of the other side, completely in tact. He looked down at himself, still feeling weird, but at least he was out and he could try to concentrate on where he was. He looked around, not seeing any signs of an exit or direct path, and just figured he would explore till he found the exit.

* * *

The two figures met at the edge of the darkness that met with the black abyss in the semblance of an ocean. The taller, broader shouldered one stood as if waiting, as the shorter, slender figure approached; both of their faces still skewed by their hoods.

"Have you found him?" Asked the shorter figure, her voice sounding urgent. "We're running out of time. They're going to notice him missing soon."

"No, but I have a lead." Said the hooded man. "I captured the half Reaper who was with him."

"Half Reaper? I thought he wasn't a Reaper."

"His barrier came down for some reason. His aura is strange, but it's definitely Reaper."

"What is a Reaper doing in the mortal world?"

"I was going to interrogate him. He could be a rogue. He wasn't half human, but I can't tell what his other half is. It reeks of Death though."

"That's troublesome." She said, looking away.

"What did you find?"

"Nothing. You're having better luck than me."

"I have to." He said, his aura tensing. "They aren't watching _you_."

"True. Getting the boy back would be more beneficial to you than to me. I'll make sure you get all the credit." He didn't say anything. "When do you want us to interrogate the half Reaper?"

"I'll take care of him. You continue to search. We still don't know how Azrin ended up in the mortal world with a human body to begin with."

She nodded. "True." She turned and disappeared into the darkness.

The taller figure hesitated, then did the same.

* * *

Running was a weirder sensation than his loss of touch. He felt weightless, like he was gliding, but he could hear the clacking of his shoes on the metal. There was still a sense of gravity, because he wasn't floating off, so he wasn't in space. Hell, he didn't know where he was, and he knew it wasn't either the colonies or Earth. Though, he wasn't about to jump to conclusions about the supernatural, no matter how glaringly obvious it was or how everything he encountered since he woke up in the hospital didn't make logical sense.

What he needed to figure out was how to get out, and finding the exit was going to be hard enough.

For one, every hallway looked exactly like the other, and every corner seemed to lead to nowhere except more cells. He didn't know if it would be useful to go up or down, since he had yet to find any stairs.

He paused, looking down over the balcony of the second floor and wondering what would happen if he jumped.

Well, it wasn't like he could die. At it wasn't really that far down, maybe a hundred feet?

He shrugged and tossed himself over the railing anyway to find out.

It was strange; he glided down and landed gingerly, without much force. It wasn't the slow glide like when he was in space, and there was obvious gravity because he was pulled down, it was just less than Earth's standard. He pondered, looking up, then tried jumping back up to the second floor.

However, he only seemed to hop. That canceled that theory.

He went back to trying to figure out where in the world he was, and turned another corner.

Only this time, he found something.

Unfortunately, it wasn't an exit.

Duo didn't know what he was looking at, not because of the strange human figure that seemed to be molded into a solid plate of carbonite like from that old Star Wars movie. It wasn't the fact that it was displayed like a half constructed sculpture in the middle of the room, with light fixated on it and chains holding it to the ground. It wasn't the half naked form of the man in the sculpture with outstretched arms presented in the form of a crucifixion. It wasn't even the strangely familiar braid hanging down him shoulder.

It was his face. There was something about his face that struck something in Duo, freezing him with emotions he wasn't sure if he had felt before. He had experienced a lot in the war, but none of them were similar to the strange boiling in the pit of his stomach; the nausea and heat, something like lava sweltering inside him and rising to the surface.

It felt like… anger, but worse. He didn't even know why he was angry, he had never seen this person before, and he had no idea who he was or even if there was a person inside. There was also another feeling, something like fear but also worse. He wasn't used to these types of emotions, and he honestly didn't know how to control them.

Duo was a master at controlling emotions and burying them far below the surface. He knew how to façade around with a smile and a joking attitude. Though since that accident with Azrin, his emotions had been spiraling further out of control with all the shock of the discoveries. However, nothing felt like it was going to spill over and burst through every inch of his body than when he was looking at the face of that sculpture.

He left. He didn't want to be anywhere near it. He didn't like the emotions he was feeling, and he didn't like being near it. He hurried around a corner, stopping to take a "breather" and felt something wet slide down his cheeks.

He touched his cheek, finding tears spilling from his eyes. He wiped them away, looking down at his shaking hands, trying to clench them.

"What's happening to me?" Even his voice sounded shaken. Why was he so affected by something he had never even seen before?

Duo shook his head, smacking his cheeks to try to snap himself out of it. _I've got to get out of here, then find Azrin, then have a nervous breakdown._ He thought to himself. "I'll figure this out later." He took off down another corridor, turning around another random corner.

And seeing the hooded figure who had captured him before. "What the…" He could sense a glare, weirdly enough, and turned to go back the way he came, as the figure started chasing after him.

"Merrick!"

They both stopped. Duo hid behind the corner, peeking around, and saw the hooded figure was cornered by someone else.

At least this time, he could see a face. The man was tall and lanky, and pale like a ghost. He looked old, but not older than death, which was what he expected. He just looked old enough to have experience. His hair was slick black, and his eyes were black; not solid though, thank god. He was giving the hooded figure, who had been chasing him, a disapproving scowl.

"Commander Nergal…" Merrick got on one knee and bowed with respect. "I didn't know you were here in the prison."

"His Majesty is looking for you. This was the last place I checked. What are you doing here? This is forbidden territory if you don't have authorization." Said the man coldly.

Merrick stood, removing his hood out of respect. His short messy hair was coal black, like everything that seemed to surround him. However, his eyes were a strange yellow, almost an ominous gold. Duo couldn't see him from his vantage point, but he slightly reminded him of a certain cold pilot he knew.

"What does his majesty want?" He asked, completely ignoring the question.

Nergal eyed him, becoming tense with suspicion. "Azrin has gone missing. We're on lock down till he is found. You're to report to his Majesty for instruction."

Merrick nodded blankly. "I will, sir."

Nergal started to leave, then turned to him. "Everyone has their eye on you, Merrick. If you keep acting suspicious, no one is going to trust you. And you _especially_ don't want to get on his Majesty's bad side." He turned and left.

Duo figured he had heard something important. He didn't know if Merrick was exactly a good guy, and he didn't want to stay to find out, but it seems more people are searching for Azrin. They might be the Grim Reapers he was talking about. If he could get to that Nergal guy, he might be able to help him find him, and get him home safely.

"You."

Duo looked up, seeing the raging yellow eyes of the figure who had been hunting him staring down at him, and he gulped. "You are going to give me answers."

Why did he have to deal with this shit?

To be continued

* * *

Yay! Another Chapter. If you guys want to give me any critique, that's fine :) I want to know if my description is ok, are you guys getting the visual? Is there any confusion? Let me know! :)


	8. Death's Bargain

Disclaimer: I don't own GW or Duo

Note: Warning, there is violence and death in this chapter.

Death's Bargain

* * *

Duo ducked under the taller figure and tried to bolt away, but Merrick was too quick as he grabbed his arm and yanked him back, slamming him against the wall.

Strangely enough, it hurt, considering how off balance his senses were.

"There's nowhere for you to run. I brought you here; I'm the only one who can take you out. Now you're going to give me the answers I need, or you'll be stuck here for eternity."

Duo was scared and nervous. This guy could slice him in half, and he wouldn't even die; but the pain would be real. And he definitely believed his threat. So, Duo did what he always did when cornered by an enemy and he was scared shitless.

He rambled. "Now let's not be hasty, Azrin told me Reapers can't kill humans, and I'm pretty sure you're already in the doghouse as it is."

"I don't know if you know this, but you're not human." He said threateningly, his scythe appearing in his hand as he convulsed with more anger.

"Okay, I can see that! But I'm an innocent bystander! And I might be helpless in here, but you're helpless without me too!"

Merrick paused half way through almost slicing his head off, even if it wouldn't have killed him, he would much rather argue with just a head instead of a body that could get away. "What do you mean?"

Duo inwardly sighed, though he wasn't exactly sure himself, he figured if he kept talking, _something_ would come to him. "I mean, right now Azrin trusts me, and he seems to be running from you, so I'm your only shot to getting him back."

"If you know where he is, tell me."

"But I don't." Merrick readied himself to strike, but Duo backpedaled. "But I know where he might be!"

"Where?" He demanded.

"I can help you find him, but on… a couple of conditions…"

"Why would I bargain with a Halfling?"

Duo got an idea. "You still need me, right? You have no idea where to look. But I do, him and I are close. We're like brothers. And he'll trust me. He won't come to you without me."

"You only knew him for a couple of days."

"Apparently that's long enough, considering you still need me to find him."

Merrick hesitated, then dropped his arm and relaxed his hold, though not letting go or dissipating his scythe. "What are your conditions?"

Duo smirked. He still had it in him. "Well first, promise you won't hurt him."

"That was never my intension." He growled.

Duo got the feeling Merrick was just trying to return Azrin home. Then who was Azrin so scared of? Maybe because this guy was a delinquent? No one seemed to trust him, according to Nergal. He wanted to know more, being an underdog himself, but he could pry that out another time. "I still want a promise. You break that promise, and I'll _make_ sure you never find him." He said, staring him down.

Merrick eyed him, making him a little nervous, then nodded. "Fine, I promise. What is your other condition?"

Duo took a deep breath. Or, whatever was in this place. "I want some answers."

Merrick narrowed his eyes. "What kind of answers?"

"Like what the hell am I, and what's going on. Who's chasing Azrin, what happened to him that got him stuck in the Human world. And about Reapers in general."

Merrick searched his eyes for sincerity, then relaxed, giving him a skeptical look and dropping his hold. "I'm not exactly sure I can help you with you. As far as who's chasing Azrin, me and my comrade Evelia. Though, I'm not sure how he got stuck in the Human World or why he's in a physical form."

"That's not his real form?"

"No, you have to take on a physical form in order to interact with humans. It's corporeal. Evelia and I saw him in the Human World and tried to get him, but he ran for some reason."

"Is he scared of you or something?"

"I don't know. I've never met him before then."

"Then how would you know who he was?"

"Evelia knew him."

"Oh."

"Now help me get him back."

"Wait, you didn't tell me about Reapers. I think if I'm at least Half, I have a right to know. And why does no one trust you?"

"My personal business is not any of _your_ business. About Reapers… that's a lot of information. How do you not know anything about them?"

"I didn't know I was half Reaper."

Merrick looked slightly surprised, though it was only subtle since his expressions were pretty much stuck in a scowl. "How could you not know?"

"I grew up thinking I was human, and before yesterday, I didn't have any abilities or anything."

"Was that the barrier that was on you?" Duo shrugged. "What happened to take the barrier off?"

Duo shrugged again. "I remember getting shot then waking up in the hospital."

"Human wounds wouldn't cause a Reaper Barrier to be torn down."

"Well then, I don't know."

"Then start with what you _do_ know."

Duo paused, thinking. "I know I can see ghosts, and my wounds strangely heal fast."

"Reapers can't instantaneously heal human bodies."

"They can't?"

"Since Reapers have to take physical form in order to sustain themselves in the Human World, they have to take a human body. If the body gets injured or killed, they just move on to another body. Or, if they're strong enough, they can create a temporary corporeal form. If they take a corporeal form, they can instantly heal themselves from most wounds."

Duo thought back to when Azrin was able to instantly heal. That means he was in corporeal form? He would have to be strong to sustain that. Interesting. He was just a kid too. But Duo _had_ to have a human form, he wasn't using any power to sustain a corporeal form. That he knew of. And if he was half human, wouldn't that cut his power in half? "Then am I half something other than human?"

Merrick seemed to be in contemplation. "I don't know. Your aura doesn't make sense."

"How does it not make sense?"

Merrick looked at him with agitated scrutiny. "I don't know how to explain it."

"How _can't_ you explain it?"

"It's just hard to explain." He snapped. He held his temple. "This is going to take time. I'll tell you more after you find Azrin."

"How do I know you'll keep your promise?"

"How do I know you won't just run as soon as I take you to the Human World?"

Duo eyed him. "Touché." They went silent. Duo sighed. "Okay. I'll find Azrin, then when I bring him back, you give me the answers I want. Deal?"

Merrick nodded. "Deal." He looked down, seeing Duo's outstretched hand.

"Are we gonna shake on it?"

"You have my word, that's enough." He said, turning and holding up his hand. A black portal of darkness appeared. "We leave."

Duo looked at the portal with unease, hesitating because of the last time he was sucked into one of those. "Um, you first."

Merrick grabbed Duo's arm and shoved him through without another word, then followed.

* * *

"Yes, I'm on my way to her hotel room right now." Wufei mumbled into he cell as he hastily entered the small hotel not too far from Duo's house. They had been looking for him all day, and still no sign of him. It was less about worry and more about agitation at this point. Besides, Wufei didn't feel like anything was wrong anymore.

Not that he had a sixth sense like Quatre, but he could still tell when something was wrong, especially with the other pilots. They had a bond that even if they hadn't seen each other in years, they would still fight beside with all their trust. If something happened to one, they all knew. It was no surprise Heero and Trowa had contacted them around the time Duo was in surgery. They didn't know it was Duo, but they still _knew_.

When Hilde had gone looking for Duo this morning, they had hoped she would contact them if she found something or not. However, she hadn't communicated with them at all, and it worried Quatre that something might have happened to her. Wufei tended to believe Quatre's gut after all the times he turned out correct, even on hunches. He wasn't superstitious, but he knew when to trust in something outside of conventional means. Normally Quatre would have been with him, but since the Winner Corp Board was throwing a fit, he had to go in to calm them down.

Wufei was agitated. He was frustrated with Hilde for not answering her goddamn phone, and for Duo for making them run around worrying about him. When he heard from the Administrator at the Preventer Station about Duo walking in looking healthier than before he met that kid, everything went from trying to get Duo back safe, to trying to get answers. Something was off since that kid came around, and though he would be next on his list of missing persons to find, right now he wanted to see Duo face to face.

For answers.

Wufei made it to the third floor he stopped, seeing one of the rooms' doors slightly ajar. Normally these doors slam shut to keep the contents of the rooms safe. His gut tightened as he walked over to the door, reading the room number 304. He looked down, seeing the hair dryer caught between, keeping the door from closing; like someone wanted to let whoever came across this in. He opened the door.

"Hilde?" There was no sound. Not from the bathroom or the television or the air conditioning. It was silent. He walked around the corner, finally finding the girl her was looking for.

She was pinned to the wall, with a crown of blood where her head was supposed to be.

* * *

Duo stumbled out of the black hole and face planted onto the ground, groaning as he pushed himself up from the concrete. He found himself back in the city, where he last encountered Merrick, before sucking him into that Prison place. He stood, Merrick materializing behind him, and the void disappearing.

"Lead me to him." Demanded the Reaper, his cold yellow eyes trained on Duo.

"It's not that simple." Duo started. He felt the aura of agitation rise in Merrick, slightly wondering how he could feel that and retracing his words. "What I mean is, if he sees the both of us, he's just going to run because he doesn't trust you. Let me go find him by myself."

Merrick eyed him, still untrusting.

"Remember, you still have answers I need." Merrick hesitated, then nodded. Duo turned on his heel, nearly running into someone, apologizing, then running off.

Merrick stared after Duo. "I didn't even see him change to corporeal form…"

* * *

Duo honestly didn't know where to look first. Back at his house? Hell no. Besides, he tried that place already. He could go to the café? Maybe try Hilde and see if she has heard from him? She might be pissed since he went missing again. How long was he gone for anyway?

He tried his pocket and realized he didn't have his cell. _Dammit_. Where exactly was he supposed to look? He had no idea where to start, and he was pretty good at finding people.

Except Heero.

 _Okay Duo stop, you have to think about this. You're a trained professional after all._ But even as a professional, this could take weeks, even months. He only had _hours_ before Merrick was going to come looking for him. He probably should have negotiated time management.

 _Wait, I'm a Reaper, maybe I can "sense" him?_ He stopped, wondering to himself. Then again, the last time it happened he encountered Merrick, though that shouldn't be the case this time. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and seeing if he could try _feeling_ where he was.

A cold chill went up his spine again, and he looked around, half expecting to see Merrick standing behind him. He shivered, only seeing a dense crowd of people. So what was the chill from?

He shivered again. That was weird, he wasn't trying to sense anything.

There is was again, making him feel cold inside. Okay, this wasn't exactly normal…

He started walking down the street, looking around and not really paying attention to where he was going. He was trying to see if he could spot anyone different, or figure out why he kept getting chills down his spine.

He stopped, seeing someone. It was a young man, probably his age, walking down the other side of the street. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary about him. He was blonde, he wore a plain tan hood and red shirt, and his hands were dug into the pockets of his cargos. He looked completely normal.

But somehow, Duo just _knew_ that he wasn't. There was something off, something creepy about him. He didn't look creepy; he just gave a _vibe_. Not like stalker creepy or rapist creepy, but definitely _dark_ creepy. If he had run into him a couple days ago, he would have looked like any other student in this city.

Duo decided to follow him. Not because he thought he would lead him to Azrin, but because he knew he was like him somehow; maybe not a Reaper, but possibly linked to Death. He could just _tell_.

If someone asked him to explain it, he knew he wouldn't be able to. For now, he didn't care to dwell on the details, he just wanted to see if he could figure out who and what that guy was.

* * *

"Of course he leads me to a graveyard…"Mumbled Duo, trailing the young man to a cemetery on the outskirts of the central city. The blonde headed straight through the main path, leading to a hill where a mausoleum stood, and walked inside. Duo didn't know whether he should wait or follow, but figured by the size there wasn't much he could do in there and just waited.

Duo looked around at the graves unevenly spaced apart. There weren't actual rows or sections, and the headstones ranged from tiny slabs to intricate works of art. He had never disliked cemeteries, but he had never wanted to step foot in one. Probably because it would remind him of all the people he lost. He hadn't been able to make a decent grave for Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, he had been forced to leave and flee because it was a time of war, and he would have ended up dead beside them. Knowing he could never visit their grave was why he avoided all cemeteries.

So he had never known what it would feel like to enter one. Wound they be creepy? Would he be able to sense the death? Would he see ghosts?

Honestly, he thought he would at least see _something_ or feel _something_ , especially recently, but the graveyard was… boring.

There was nothing. No chills, no ghosts, no apparitions or even _feelings_ or the dead. It was strangely quiet, like death had abandoned the place. It was almost unnerving.

"Who are you?"

Duo jumped, the blonde guy he had followed standing directly behind him. How the hell did he do that? He hadn't left the mausoleum; and from the angle on the hill, he would have seen him even if he left from another entrance. "How the hell did you do that?"

The young man, who was also taller than him, but not as towering as Merrick, gave him a curious look. "How does a Reaper not know how to sneak up on someone?"

Duo blanched. So, he knew what he was. He was right to follow him. "I'm a little new at this, so I haven't figured that one out yet." In fact, he _did_ know how to do that, but he had never encountered someone who could do it better than _him_. Though, that did make a lot more sense now.

"You're new?" He narrowed his eyes. "Well, _Newby_ , this is _my_ cemetery, and I don't like Reapers, so leave."

He paused. This guy didn't _like_ Reapers? Then, what was _he_? "You're not a Reaper?"

"Whoever trained you sucked in teaching, you should know a Shinigami when you see one."

"A… Shinigami…?"

Duo's mind started pulling information he had learned when he came up with his title "God of Death." Shinigami was the Japanese version of that. Weren't Grim Reapers then Shinigami? He took a step back. "I thought Shinigami were the Japanese equivalent of Grim Reapers…?"

The young man studied him. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm Duo, a Half Reaper."

"Half? What's your other half?"

"I was assuming human, but I might be wrong about that."

"You're definitely wrong. You don't smell like human."

 _Smell?_ Duo felt another shiver, like he could suddenly feel the aura around this guy. It felt dense, and it gave the impression that he probably needed to run.

"You reek of Death Energy." He said, looking him up and down, taking in all of Duo's frame and memorizing his form. It was like he was imprinting his image into his mind, and Duo suddenly felt vulnerable, like he was in the presence of a wolf staring at prey. "Reapers can't manifest Death Energy."

"W-What manifests Death Energy?" He asked, slowly taking another step back.

"The dead." He said, taking a step closer.

"Could you elaborate on that?" He backed away behind a headstone, knowing that if he looked away, he might not see him strike. He stared at his eyes, which were blue one minute, then a dull amber with slits. There was hunger in his eyes, and Duo realized the chill he had been feeling wasn't the sense of Death, but the sense of being hunted.

Had he known Duo was following him?

"I sensed you before you spotted me." He said, like he was responding directly to his thoughts. Duo stumbled back and fell on a grave, but hardly noticed as he stared up at the blonde. The young man stood above him, looking down threateningly. "Don't think I didn't know I was leading you here."

Duo gulped. "What are you doing to do?"

His aura sprang forth, taking the form of a large, hungry monster as his human form stood silhouetted with glowing amber eyes. "Find out just what exactly you are."

To be continued

* * *

Okay! I won't be able to get another chapter out till after the first(that goes for all stories) because I need to study for my P&C license. Sorry :/ If you guys could please review, it would be much appreciated.


	9. Living Death

Disclaimer: I don't own Duo Maxwell or Gundam Wing :(

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! I hope you will forgive me DX

* * *

It was monstrous, the aura taking on the form of a four legged creature, similar to a wolf and a dragon. Its face was smooth and flat, with large straight teeth like a skull, but it extended tall, like an African mask. Duo wouldn't be surprised if Africans modeled their art after a creature like this.

It didn't have a solid form, but it was visible enough to see bone and decaying skin. It didn't have a smell, but was replaced with a thick and dense aura, making everything around it feel heavier. Its tail was long and lizard-like, and its claws were longer and thicker than it's paws. It was a creature of nightmares.

Was this what a real Shinigami looked like?

"The fact that you can see my true form proves you are a Reaper." The silhouette spoke, his voice suddenly darker and rough. He even _sounded_ like a monster.

Duo forced himself up, but he couldn't stop the shaking. He had faced threatening odds and near death experiences more than most soldiers in their lifetimes. He had killed and been tortured, he had every reason to fear and want death; but he had never been scared.

Not until he was faced with something other worldly. Something not human.

How exactly was he going to make it out of this one?

Fight or flight should have kicked in. He would have either charged or fled as soon as he saw the form of the creature. It was natural instinct. He had normally fluctuated between both, depending on the situation and how sure he was against the odds. He would flee when he knew he couldn't win, but if he was backed into a corner, he would fight. But he had never been scared enough to know which was his natural reaction.

It was neither. He was frozen. He couldn't move or think. He wasn't even breathing. He was just staring at the form, completely still.

His thoughts didn't return to him until the creature lifted an arm, mimicking the silhouette and bringing it down in one fell swoop. Duo only had enough time to shift a little and bring his arms up to protect himself, and felt the searing pain as claws sliced through the skin and trailed a heavy amount of blood in its wake, throwing him against a tall headstone with enough force to break one of his ribs on impact.

The pain brought him back to reality, and the fear started to subside as his thoughts ran through scenarios a mile a minute, trying to think of the best way to either attack or flee. He didn't know how to fight something non-corporeal, and he doubt he could get close enough to the silhouette since it was now equipped with long range reach. His only option was to flee, so he started looking for an escape route.

The creature cut the distance between them in seconds, already upon him with another raised claw to slice him in half. The wounds were taking longer to heal, though still rapid by normal standards. He was bleeding everywhere, having hit an artery along his arm. Death was obviously not going to be the outcome of this. But Duo knew by the cold and hungry glare both the silhouette and the transparent creature was giving him, he was going to be eaten.

What would result from that, he really didn't want to find out.

He didn't know how he had managed it, but he dodged the attack quick enough as the incorporeal claw tore the headstone like paper. Duo looked back at the spot he was only inches away from, paling. He would have been shredded cheese if he was hit.

"Aren't you going to fight back?" Billowed the voice of the silhouette, his and the corporeal form's eyes training on him at once. It was clear the two were the same spirit; the same soul. When one moved, so did the other. Seeing the spirit extend from the body like that was surreal, and Duo had seen some pretty weird stuff up till now.

"Exactly _how_ am I supposed to do that?" Seethed Duo between gritted teeth. He tried sitting himself up, but the pain was starting to become unbearable. He looked down at the slices on his arm and sides; they looked like they were boiling. Was he infected?

"You are a Reaper, aren't you?"

"As of yesterday…"

The form chuckled. "Noob." He whipped his tail around, smacking Duo in the stomach and sending him crashing into another headstone, breaking it with the force of impact.

Duo sat up, spit out blood, and looked up at the silhouette, fear subsiding and determination now replacing it. He was at a disadvantage, but he couldn't die, so he had time to think of some form of attack. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I want to see what you can do."

"Well obviously nothing, so throwing me around like a rag doll is pointless, because I can't die."

"I wasn't trying to kill you." The figure said calmly, almost emotionless except with a bit of humor. "Think of this as good training."

Duo spit out more blood. "You're sick."

The creature's tail smacked him in the head, sending him flying again. His blood was everywhere. At this rate, the graveyard would be covered with more blood than was in a natural human body.

On the other side of the graveyard where the Shinigami was tossing Duo around and leaving trails of blood everywhere, a small set of eyes peeked out from the door in the mausoleum. Tiny hands pushed the door wider, a small child with coal black hair stepping out, his eyes widening at the sight.

"Duo?!"

Duo looked up from his tangled spot on an obscure grave smeared with his blood, seeing the small child he had been looking for the past 24 hours. He pushed himself up, shakily, and stuttered in pain his name. "A-Azrin…?"

Golden amber eyes turned to the child in the mausoleum, making the child shiver in fear. "So you know him?" Growled the Shinigami. "Maybe you can be sufficient motivation." He whipped his body around to face the boy, Azrin frozen in fear as he approached him. His aura was so large; it took him only a few steps to close the gap as he lifted a claw to strike the small Reaper.

Duo panicked. "Stop! He's just a child!"

"You're an idiot if you think _that's_ a child."

Duo watched everything in slow motion, as the claw came down on Azrin, and the multitude of hands sprouted from the ground and grabbed onto the Shinigami's human form.

Duo sat there in amazement and fear as the dead clawed out of their graves and swarmed the Shinigami and Azrin, pinning the former down and taking the force of the claw that was supposed to hit the child.

The Shinigami batted at the zombies, his attention completely off his target as he tried to get them off. His aura subsided, the Shinigami form dissipating as he punched and ducked and fought with the undead trying to pin him down. "Get them off me!"

Duo was mortified, watching as the undead creatures escaped their not-final-anymore-resting place and swarmed on the Shinigami and Azrin. He was less worried about his former attacker, and more for the little boy who screamed in fright. Duo made a move to get up and run after them, but the pain of the boiling wounds were enough to make a normal person pass out. "Don't touch him!"

And they stopped, hovering over the boy as if frozen by the command. Duo's mouth worked, but nothing came out, did they just _listen_?

The actual Shinigami batted away the remains of the bony creatures, finally reversed to human form and looking more agitated than amused. None of the zombies moved, and the scene would have been comical if not for the morbid sense that the dead were standing before them.

"Interesting." The blonde looked between the child and Duo.

"Duo?" The little voice called uncertain, knocking Duo back to reality. Duo forced himself up and towards the child, slowly making his way from one end of the graveyard to the other.

The Shinigami watched with interest, observing instead of attacking as Duo passed right by him. Duo moved passed the frozen zombies, which looked more like statues, and finally wrapped himself around the boy in relief.

"I was so worried…" Duo breathed out, all the pent up anxiety of not knowing where the boy was finally escaping in a relieved sigh.

"Duo, are you okay?" Azrin looked at the wounds covering Duo, trying not to freak out from the living corpses surrounding him.

"I think the pain's subsiding." He mustered out, grunting. He didn't move from his position, crouched on the ground and encompassing the child in an embrace.

"That looks bad, you need to get help."

Duo chuckled. "Oh, right, you weren't there for the raising from the dead part."

"What?"

Duo finally pushed away, looking into the deep blue orbs of the child. "So, apparently I went to the Reaper World."

"What?!"

"Some guy named Merrick is looking for you. He wants to take you home."

Azrin had the most confused look on his face, making Duo chuckle, until turning oddly serious and concerned. "The last time I saw you, you didn't believe me…"

"The last time I saw you I was shot." The boy flinched, remembering the angry cries of the Chinese man. "But it's okay, apparently I can't die."

"You're half Reaper, it's probably why." He looked around him, like he was trying to find something. "Your barrier is gone. And I can sense your aura. It feels… familiar…"

"It's a long story."

"I can't tell what the other part is, though…" Said the boy, looking concerned. Duo gave him a questionable look.

"I doubt you would know, kid." Came the voice of the other occupant in the graveyard. The living one.

The two glared at him through the wall of frozen zombies. "And you would?" Growled Duo.

The young man gave him a bored look. "I think it's pretty obvious." He snorted, his smirk cynical. "Though how you would have happened is beyond me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Reapers don't like mixing with those who mess with Death. In fact, they either despise them or treat them like second class. Hence why _I_ don't get along with them."

"Reapers and Shinigami get along." Said Azrin, cutting in. "They usually fight together."

"Reapers treat Shinigami like _pets_. They don't see them as equals."

"I don't think they do…" Azrin mumbled to himself, though Duo doubted the other man could hear him.

Duo cut in, tired of being left out. "Either way, you don't seem to want to hurt us anymore."

The young blonde scoffed. "That's because the situation is more amusing than I originally thought. Once Reapers find out what you are, you're as screwed as me."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What do you mean? Why would you and Duo be screwed?" Asked Azrin innocently.

"You really are a dunce, Reaper. Haven't you figured it out by now? Your friend there is a Necromancer."

Duo was familiar with the term, and it made sense. He had come across it in his early years when researching the God of Death. They were humans who could master control over the dead. It explained the zombies. And whatever aura Merrick sensed from him he couldn't figure out.

Azrin, on the other hand, looked mortified and stepped back from Duo, giving him a disbelieving look. "What?"

"But there _aren't_ any more Necromancers…"

"Then explain the zombies." Said the Shinigami.

Azrin looked like he was in turmoil, and Duo turned back to his previous attacker. "So I'm guessing Reapers and Necromancers don't get along either."

"They _hate_ each other. More than Shinigami do." There was a wicked smirk on the young blonde's face, almost as threatening as his aura had been. It made a shiver go down Duo's spine. "I would keep your mouth shut too, if anyone finds out, you'll be facing a fate worse than death."

"What exactly would that be?" Duo asked Skeptically.

"Solitude." Azrin's voice caught him. "There are no Necromancers on Earth or in the Colonies. There's a reason."

 _Now_ Duo was worried. "Why?"

"Because we sealed their souls away. Into the void." Azrin explained. Duo went cold, feeling dread enter his entire body the more he spoke. "If they find out what you are Duo, they'll seal you away… for eternity…"

To be continued

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I know this was shorter than the others, but it felt like the best place to leave off. Please please tell me what you think! I want to know if this chapter makes sense. Please review! It helps inspire me to write, or I might wait four months to update again XD


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